Dormin's Curse
by LinkLord
Summary: Taking something is easy. Replacing it is very hard. Especially when replacing it includes bargaining with an unholy god. What happened after Wander's reincarnation? And where did the Colossi originate? One adventure ends. Another begins.
1. Dormin and the Shrine of Worship

**ATTENTION - IMPORTANT NOTICE**

_This is a story that began several years ago, I think back in 2008. I was just getting into writing at the time, and as such the quality of writing in the first few chapters is so abysmal that it actually pains me to look at it. In addition, I made promises in the early stages which I did not follow through with; apologies in advance._

_Until I am able to redux the first chapters, I request that you bear with it and follow through to the new chapters, which I'm quite pleased with._

_ADENDUM: For those of you who actually liked the original chapters, I will make them available on another site after I am done with the redux chapters._

_Yours truly,_

_-LinkLord_

**'Sup? Yes, I'm also a SOTC fan. So what?**

**ANYWAYZ!**

**This is a combination of both the game's Colossi and ten of my custom Colossi, plus two of the Colossi that were taken from the game! That's right! Two beta Colossi!**

**So now, let's get on with it! Instead of always typing 'The Wanderer' I'll change his name to Wander. It may be crappy, but let's see you do better, hmm?**

**On with the show! Err, I mean, fic. I own nothing!**

* * *

Key:

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts_

**Chapter 1**

The Shrine of Worship

The pitterpatter of raindrops hit Wander's head methodically as he moved across the rocky path, looking down into a gorge. "Soon, Mono, we'll be reunited." he said, more to himself than anything else. Agro whinnied and shook his soaked mane as they moved under the shelter of a forest. Up ahead was the mysterious rock wall that was so forbidden, with the pass in-between.

Although the light coming from within was too bright for him to see into it, he felt some sort of evil spiritual power echoing from the very stones of this place. It was almost as if the unseen force was calling him forward. It seems like whatever is in there, won't let me out once I've entered. Wander contemplated. but kept moving.

As soon as he entered, he felt a powerful wind blowing him away from the entrance. That wasn't all. He was in some sort of gargantuan valley, with a bridge that stretched for several miles in front of him. Agro paced nervously as Wander looked over the edge of the bridge. A fall from this height would kill them. He fixed his gaze forward and saw a temple seemingly situated in the very center of the with the way things were turning out, he kicked Agro's sides and made his way across the bridge.

MEANWHILE

Emon shouted orders to the five men with him, and he mounted his white horse. It would take a day to get ready, and another day to find where the fool had gone, not to mention how long it would take to arrive there. Yes, Wander had a suitable lead, but he was an expert tracker. It would be oh-so-satisfying to punish this disobeying brat.

THE SHRINE OF WORSHIP

Wander set Mono's body on the alter at the end of the hall and brushed some hair from her eyes before looking around at the sixteen statues along the walls. They seemed to be idols of something, and they seemed very familiar, but...

Suddenly four shadowy shades of man-shaped energy rose from the floor, and he whirled to see them advancing on him. Shock gripped him for a moment, then he relaxed and unsheathed the Ancient's Sword, shining its light all over the temple. The shades recoiled as if struck, then melted back as a powerful wind raged through the temple.

He had to fight to remain standing as the gale whistled through the shrine, then stopped as suddenly as it had begun. A faint rumbling sound came from the ceiling, and he looked up to see the skylight in the shape of a hole fill with impossibly bright rays of light. All of a sudden a booming voice entered the shrine, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at once and, Wander thought, sounded both male and female.

**What is this? Thou possesses the Ancient Sword! At last, a suitable being for Us instead of the lizards and birds that roam this accursed land. Come hither, mortal, and stand in the light.**

Wander hesitantly stepped forward and the brilliance seemed to be absorbed into the sword. He tried to speak, but instead found he was only able to look back at Mono. Somehow, seeing her gave him strength, and he confidently raised his head to the light. "I have heard, ever since I was small, the tale of Dormin, the forbidden god who could bring back the souls of the dead." he declared. "Is it possible that you are Dormin?"

The rumble filled his ears again, and he began to wonder if this always happened when Dormin spoke. But instead of words, an amused chuckle flitted through his mind.

**Aye, brave adventurer, We art Dormin. But it is unlikely that thee wouldst come all this way merely to see if the rumors about Us were true. Doth thou not have a reason?**

Wander nodded, but when he began to wonder if Dormin could see him nod he said, "Yes. My wish is for Mono's soul," he stopped momentarily to glance at her, "to be brought back." Again the rumbling came, and once more Dormin chuckled. Wander was beginning to get angry at the disembodied god.

**It is always the same with thy mortals. Thou come to ressurect a long-lost love or beloved pet, but then thou cannot complete Our task and perish.**

Wander was liking Dormin less and less. But if he was going to ressurect Mono, he needed the god's help. "I need only an answer, Dormin. Is it possible to ressurect Mono? Can you bring her back?" he waited, eager for the answer. He suddenly felt his spirits fall. Of course Dormin would say no. 'Go back', They would say. They might even be amused enough to laugh.

But when the rumbling came, Wander heard no laughter. Only a serious, and thoughtful tone of voice in Their words.

**Aye, thou heard correctly. We are capeable of bringing back this maiden.**

Wander felt like crying, and if Dormin had been visable he probably would have even hugged Them. However, the rumbling came again.

**However, while at the peak of Our power such a task would take no time at all, severed as We are it requires much from thee.**

"I will do anything for her, Lord Dormin!" Wander called proudly. It was only fitting, he thought, to call Dormin 'lord' after what he had just said. A booming laugh filled the entire room, and Wander suddenly felt very small compared to this entity.

**Is that so, brave one? Very well. Look well upon the statues up and down this hall.**

Wander cast an impatient glance at the statues and looked back up. "Is this my task, lord?" he asked the light filtering through. He heard Dormin once more, but this time the god sounded angry.

**Doth thou know NOTHING of patience? If the task were so simple, would We not do it Ourselves?**

Wander felt like taking Mono and leaving this land now, but then he remembered the fierce wind blocking the exit. He had no choice but to follow Dormin's commands. "I am sorry, Lord Dormin." he said through gritted teeth. "Forgive me, but if the statues are not important why must I look at them?" he winced at what he'd just said and waited for Dormin's sign that he would not revive Mono. Perhaps the god would even use Their remaining power to hurl him from the temple.

But instead, when Dormin next spoke Their voice was full of understanding.

**We must keep in mind that thine mind is not all-powerful like Ours. Thou art only mortal, after all. These statues, sixteen in all, represent immortal giants who roam this land. Thou must shatter each and every idol.**

Wander took these commands into his head and worked his mind around them, then unsheathed the Ancient's Sword and leaped at the nearest one, slashing at it. The statue, however, seemed to be made of diamond, and the recoil effect was so strong Wander was thrown onto his back. Again Dormin chuckled at Their pawn's stupidity.

**Thou cannot destroy these statues with any mere MORTAL's weapon. Thine task is to seek out the Colossi and kill them. When a Colossus is vanquished, its statue shall fall.**

Wander nodded. This sort of made sense, in a whole cosmic sort of way. "Where do I look, my lord?" he asked, rising to his feet. The traditional rumble that signalled Dormin's response came to him.

**We cannot tell thee directly, for that wouldst be thought of as interferance by the divine ones. We may only tell thee in riddles, for if We did not, thy wish would mean nothing.**

Wander sighed and sheathed the Ancient's Sword. "Very well, Lord Dormin. Please tell me where I might find the first Colossus." he said.

* * *

**What did you think? Please tell me! Oh, and R&R!**


	2. Valus, the Minotaur

**I'm back! XD**

**I sure do update fast, huh? Anywayz, on to the first colossus! Iiiiiiit's VALUS!**

**(fanfare)**

**I own nothing!**

**--------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking

* * *

_

**Chapter 2**

The Minotaur

Wander led Agro to the stairs leading outside of the Shrine, Dormin's last words still echoing in

his mind.

**Thou must hold thine sword up to the light, and go to where the light gathers.**

He curiously held up the Ancient's Sword, then held it up to the light. Beams of energy flickered

from the tip of the blade, and he found that when he turned the lights would get either more or

less focused. He slowly turned to see the cluster of lights were strongest in the direction of a rocky

mesa that led up to an open sort of plateau.

Sheathing the blade, he kicked Agro's sides and the horse whinnied before racing forward, stopping

when it was impossible to go any farther. Wander slid down from Agro and whispered calming words

in his horse's ears, then left Agro to graze and climbed a tangle of moss up to a platform that led a carved

path to the mesa above. He jumped and rolled before finally coming to a giant plateau.

Several boulders and a few scraggly trees rested here, and in the distance he couldl even see the ruins of a

stone building, embedded and perhaps even sculpted from the rock walls themselves. However, when he

stepped forward his mind immediatly screamed at him to take cover, and he dove behind a rock.

_**Rrmblrrmbblrmbl**_

With a deafening crash a giant hoof smashed into the ground in front of him, and Wander gaped at the size

of the beast that walked past him. In its hand was a giant rocky club, and its blue eyes seemed to see him

no matter which way it was facing. He looked at it in stunned silence for a while before remembering Dormin's

task, and he rose before slowly, quietly, unsheathing the Ancient's Sword.

The beast--Valus, as Dormin had called it--seemed to be unaware of his presence, and merely paced from

one end of the plateau to the other, content with this activity. Wander crept up behind it until it started to

turn. Frantically, to avoid being seen, he hid behind one of the pillars of the ruined building. But he needn't

have bothered, as it seemed he was too small to attract Valus's attention anyway.

**Raise thy sword to the light to reveal Valus's vitals.**

Wander was so startled at Dormin's voice flitting through his mind that he yelped, and the sound was apparently

loud enough for Valus to hear. The giant minotaur turned and its eyes turned from blue to red as it saw

the lone adventurer. It paused for a moment, stunned that such a puny fighter would challenge it and to

wonder how it had gotten there without it noticing.

Its confusion was short, however, and Valus soon roared before drawing back its arm. Wander scrambled to

his feet and leaped aside to dodge the mammoth weapon. The impact was so strong, despite Wander's best

efforts, he was flung through the air. Landing on the hard rocky ground, he shook his head to clear the

jumbled bunch of thoughts that had appeared when Valus attacked.

Strangely, one of those thoughts happened to be 'Ouch.'

Valus swung his club again and it smashed directly next to Wander. But this time the warrior was ready and

jumped up, grabbing the weapon as it came down. The impact jarred his teeth, but otherwise he was

okay.

Valus seemed astounded that Wander had grabbed its weapon, and as it lifted the club it tried to shake the

tiny foe off. It took only a few tries before Wander, already exhausted, slipped off. Remembering Dormin's

advice, he retreated back to the rocks--where, it seemed, Valus was unwilling to follow--and held his sword

up. The light here was scarce, but there was enough to ignite the end of the Ancient's Sword.

The beams of light focused in three places. Valus's left ankle, the elbow of its weapon arm and its head.

Wander took out his bow and took aim, then shot the beast's head. He could tell it did not do much damage,

since Valus did not even stumble, but it swayed for a moment before roaring angrily. Wander congratulated

himself on finding the beast's weakspot before running behind a rock and breaking its vision while it was still

dazed.

Once Valus was able to think properly again, it looked around for its target. Seeing nothing, the Colossus roared

angrily before turning and stomping away from the rocks that Wander hid behind. Silently wondering how he

was so lucky, he snuck up on the beast before leaping onto its ankle.

Realizing Wander had grabbed it, Valus put its weight into its right leg and swung its left leg wildly, trying to

shake the puny pest off. Wander had to cling tightly to its fur before it stopped, and he then stabbed his sword

deep into Valus's ankle.

It stumbled, catching itself at the last second and nearly throwing Wander off. He regained his grip and stabbed

again, and this time Valus couldn't stop his descent in time. He fell to his knees, and Wander suddenly

realized that there were two bands on Valus's upper leg. He grabbed them and hauled himself up, then

he realized there were three platforms on Valus's back.

Wondering how he didn't notice the outcroppings before--he must've been focused on Valus's giant bulk--

Wander climbed up to Valus's back. The beast caught Wander unaware, however, and thrashed violently

to get its foe off. Wander was flung high into the air, and closed his eyes, waiting for the impact when he

crashed into the rocks below.

However, he didn't fall for very long. His hand, outstretched, brushed something furry before slipping off stone,

and he grabbed it in a death grip. His descent stopped so suddenly his arm was nearly ripped from its

socket, and he heard Valus roar in surprise--or was it anger? He hauled himself up onto the furry spot

and opened his eyes before gasping in shock.

He was on Valus's head!

Valus knew it, too, for he lowered his neck and bent over. Wander thought the Colossus was just as

tired as him, and wanted to get this over with. So he raised his sword, his grip slackening, and was

almost flung into the stone wall as Valus swung its neck back, with as much force as a train.

The Wander grappled with the beast's rocky 'mask', however, and with one fluid movement he plunged

the Ancient's Sword deep into Valus's skull. The colossus roared in pain and flung its head back again,

but Wander continued stabbing. At last, it was done.

Valus roared and dropped the club as it fell, crashing with great force into the rocks below. Wander slid

to the ground in time to see four tendrils poke out from Valus's head. They embedded themselves into

his chest, and before Wander blacked out, he could've sworn he heard Dormin laughing at him.


	3. Quadratus, the Bull

**Wahoo! I'm on a roll!**

**I'm pleased to say that I've just gotten my first review(s). Thank you!**

**Now then, we've got a real fight on our hands! Let's see how Wander handles Quadratus, shall we?**

**I own nothing!**

**------------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking

* * *

_

**Chapter 3**

The Bull

Faintly, and very dimly, Wander was aware of someone standing next to him. But when he opened his eyes,

he couldn't see anyone.

Slowly he heaved himself to his feet, and heard the distant rumble that signaled Dormin's speech.

**At last, thou hath awoken! We were beginning to think that thy wish would be over before thee had begun.**

"Lord Dormin?" he asked weakly, shielding his eyes from the light. A whinny reached his ears, and he

turned to see Agro running to him.

**Aye, brave adventurer. Valus took his toll on thee, did he not? But thy effort is in plain sight. Behold!**

The rays of light coming from above focused on one of the idols. At least, what _remained_ of an idol.

The idol that had represented Valus had crumbled, and Wander felt like the familiarity he had with the room

was gone with just the collapse of Valus's statue. So the Colossus really was gone. "Lord Dormin, I am

honored to complete your task if it means Mono will return." he said.

There was a pause, then the rumbling returned.

**Thy eager nature may prove to be thy downfall. Very well. Thy next foe is...in the seaside cave...it moves slowly...raise thy courage to defeat it...**

Wander waited for some indication as to where he should start looking, but it seemed like Dormin was done.

With a sigh he mounted Agro and kicked the horse's sides, making their way out of the Shrine of Worship.

MEANWHILE

Dormin chuckled to Themselves at the warrior's ignorance. Could he not see that They were using him? Still,

since Their ressurection depended on this boy, it might be a good idea to keep this information from

him.

WANDER

_Seaside cave, seaside cave..._ Wander thought, glancing around at the countryside. He took out the Ancient's

Sword yet again, but it kept pointing to a gorge. Sighing, he sheathed it and set Agro into a canter,

heading down the ramp to the beach below. He suddenly felt the same evil, dark feeling he'd gotten

when Valus was near him.

He made Agro trot to a giant stone door, not seeing the Colossus anywhere. "Where is this thing?" he

asked himself.

_**Rrmblrrrmmbblrmbl**_

Wander whirled around and Agro bolted to the stone ramp just as the door broke open, revealing a gargantuan

giant of a bull. It seemed to have lost half of its left horn, but it was formidable all the same. It stepped

forward, the ground shaking with every step.

Wander turned and called for Agro, but the horse was nowhere to be found. Trembling, he turned back to

the beast. "Lord Dormin, what must I do?!" he asked. As if called there, Dormin's voice appeared in his

head.

**Quadratus's back is high up. To reach it, thou must attack that which supports the Colossus.**

Wander nodded and took out his bow, aiming at one of Quadratus's legs. However, it seemed the beast didn't

like the idea of being shot with an arrow and it reared. Just then Wander saw the glowing markings on

Quadratus's legs.

Grinning, he shot for them and Quadratus roared, stumbling before collapsing on the ground. While the

beast struggled to regain the energy to stand back up, Wander raced to it and leaped up, grabbing

the legs of the beast. Quadratus rose and Wander grabbed onto a ledge on the Colossus's upper

leg.

Holding the sword up, Wander found two weakspots: Quadratus's head and its rear end. Shaking his head at

how strange this was, he leaped from Quadratus's leg to its back and ran down the length of its spine, stabbing

its back/hindquarters. Quadratus roared helplessly, as there was nothing it could do to to stop this tiny foe. When

Quadratus would no longer respond to being stabbed there, Wander made the trek back to its head.

Here, however, Quadratus could present a problem. Tossing its head back and forth, Wander was given very little time

to strike. But finally the blow was dealt, and Quadratus fell to the sands below, its body becoming covered with shadow.

The tendrils reached out once more and, again, embedded themselves into Wander. He blacked out with only the knowledge

that Agro was gone.

* * *

**Before you ask, yes, I took the symbols out. I thought it was stupid there'd be a gleaming mark on its vitals! Anyway, read and review please.**


	4. Gaius, the Warrior

**Looking back at chapter 3, I realize it was a bit rushed. I apologize, and will make it up to you by making THIS chapter well over 2000 words long.**

**Now then, time for Gaius! Ah yes, Gaius. I hate this guy. The first time I EVER fought him, do you know what he did? Here's a list:**

**Turn**

**Brace self**

**Slam sword into ground and knock me off the plateau**

**Wait for me to come back up**

**Repeat**

**Can you believe it? No? Good, it never happened.**

**I own nothing.**

**-----------------------------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking

* * *

_

**Chapter 4**

The Warrior

Whispers were coming from above him. Semiconscious, he could not find the energy to open his eyes or even to sit up. But it seemed that there was more people around him this time. With a jolt, he realized that something was exploding, and he shocked himself awake to see the idol that represented Quadratus fall with a rumble.

Laughing weakly, seeing that he did it, he slowly rose, once again seeing he was alone despite the fact that someone had been there before. He also saw that Agro was contentedly nibbling on some grass poking through the stones next to him. "AGRO!" he cried out, hugging his mount. Hearing a deep chuckling noise, he remembered he was Dormin's warrior and stood up straighter.

**Thou humans never cease to confuse Us, but it is humorous seeing thou talketh to this horse as if it could reply.**

"Lord Dormin, Quadratus has been defeated!" Wander said confidently. Suddenly he was aware of a sharp pain in his side, and he looked down to see, shocked, a large hole with blood gushing out was visible. The temple boomed with Dormin's laughter.

**Aye, and it seems thou landed on top of Quadratus's horns.**

Blushing fiercely, Wander tried to stand up straighter but that made the pain greater. "Where must I go next, my lord?" he asked, trying to fight back tears; the pain was unbelievable! That thing was even more of a handful than Valus!

**Thou are not going anywhere in thine current condition.**

Wander almost fell over at these words. Was Dormin actually giving him _permission_ not to fight the next Colossus? "M-my lord?"

**Speak thine mind, mortal.**

"If my quest is to destroy all 16 colossi, I have 14 more to go. Should I not get going?" he asked. When Dormin next spoke, They sounded like They were holding back impatience.

**Aye, young warrior, but since thy are to defeat **_**16**_**, would it not be useful for thou to REST, and avoid killing thyself against Gaius?**

"Very well, my lord. Give me the information on the Colossus, and I will wait until my wound heals before setting out." Wander said confidently, sitting on the rubble of Valus's idol.

**We have a better idea. Go back to the scenes of Valus and Quadratus, and see what has become of them.**

Not about to disobey a direct order from a god, Wander mounted Agro and set off.

MEANWHILE

Emon knelt near a tree, examining hoofprints in the underbrush. "Due north." he whispered, then mounted his horse once more. "Forward!" he shouted, and his guards charged forward into the forest.

WANDER

What Wander saw was too incredible to comprehend.

He visited Valus first, intending to pay tribute to the beast whom he had last seen covered in shadow. When he arrived, however, he found Valus's once soft fur had turned as hard as rock, and stones and dust were so thick on its body, along with moss, that it seemed to have been dead for years. Frantically he returned to the site of Quadratus's death only to find the same.

Stunned, he was about to ask Dormin's advice when he felt the god's presence retreat from his mind. Sadly, he returned to the Temple of Worship, where Dormin at last gave him the information he needed to continue.

**Thy next foe is...a giant canopy soars to the heavens...the anger of the sleeping giant shatters the earth.**

Shaking his head in confusion from all these riddles, Wander exited the shrine and found himself, soon enough, in a giant 'tunnel'. It would have been a tunnel if the sky wasn't showing itself above him. Riding through the canyon, he found a huge lake with a great plateau raised high above it by a single, stony support beam, with a ramp leading up to it. Leaving Agro, he waded into the water and soon emerged, clothes dripping, at the base of the ramp.

He took this oppertunity to sit down and catch his breath. "My lord, about the 'giant canopy?'"

**Mmm? What is thy point?**

"Is this...Gaius...a bird?" he asked, looking up as if looking at the god Themselves.

**Nay. Gaius is not a bird. **

"So the canopy part meant a high up location?" Wander asked.

**Obviously. Now get going.**

Puzzled by Dormin's impatience, Wander ascended the ramp until he came to a part where the stone had fallen into the water below, leaving a gap. Leaping over, he found a brace in the square piece of stone and shimmied around it, leaping to the plateau and heaving himself up. He jumped up to the higher layer of stone and saw nothing but a stone circle and a pile of rubble on the opposite side. "My lord? Where is the Colossus?" Wander asked, confused.

**Are thou blind as well as stupid?**

"But Lord Dormin, there is nothing here!" he said, taking a rock and throwing it at the pile of rubble. "Please tell me if I have the right location! If so, WHERE IS THE COLOSSUS?!"

**Thou art looking at it, fool.**

"Eh?" Wander looked at the 'pile of rubble' in time to see it move. With a gulp, he watched as Gaius sat up. He suddenly felt his jaw drop open, and his cry of amazement reached Dormin all the way in the Shrine of Worship.

"IT HAS A SWORD?!?!"

**Aye!**

"Gulp." Wander said, then leaped out of the way as Gaius swung its sword down and embedded it in the ground. "Lord Dormin, this is insane! It's legs are entirely made of stone! How can I climb it?!" Wander bellowed, only making Gaius angry.

**Give Us a moment, fool, and We shall see what We can do. Aah, the armor it wears seems brittle.**

"Forgive me, Lord Dormin, but that doesn't help!" Wander cried. Gaius swung at him again, narrowly missing.

**Calm thyself. Gaius shall swing at everything, anything, to get at his enemy.**

If Dormin had been there, Wander was certain They would have pointed to the stone circle. He ran to it and shot an arrow at Gaius, who in turn swung its sword. This time, however, not only did Gaius hit the stone circle, but he hit Wander as well. This led to several effects. Gaius's arm went numb from the impact, the stone circlet on its sword-arm broke away, and Wander was sent flying off of the plateau.

Landing with a splash in the lake below, he found it hard to stay conscious. Dimly, he was aware of Gaius looking over the edge of the platform at him.

(**Okay, here's a cool thing. It was never possible in the game, but man, I think you'll love it!**)

**Art thou alright?**

Wander could barely hear Dormin, but the god sounded like he cared. Wander, however, had eyes only for Gaius, who was getting closer and closer to the edge. Wander, meanwhile, couldn't find the strength to swim to the surface.

Turns out he didn't have to.

Gaius leaned too far over and fell into the lake, causing a tidal wave to surge up and fling Wander out of the water. Seeing that he was high up, he grabbed the edge of the platform. He was now dangling by one arm over Gaius, his strength rapidly depleting. Suddenly, he noticed Agro had been washed into the canyon by the tidal wave and couldn't help him. "Lord Dormin?!" he cried out, but that took out the energy that he had left and he fell...

...right on top of Gaius.

It seemed that the Colossus was just as surprised as him, because for a moment neither of them moved. Then Gaius snorted and roared, shaking wildly to get him off. Wander couldn't even find the energy to draw his sword, but somehow the sword was flung free of its sheathe by Gaius's thrashing, flung high into the air before sinking to the bottom of the lake. Now weaponless except for his bow, Wander was about to give up.

**Can thou do NOTHING without Our help? Stab Gaius with an arrow!**

Wander couldn't muster enough energy to complain. He merely took an arrow from his quiver and stabbed it into Gaius's skull. Now, being hit with the Colossus's foul blood for the first time, he realized something: It was COLD. It jarred his senses and he pulled the arrow free before stabbing it into Gaius again. The Colossus roared and shook wildly, trying to get him off.

**Now thee are fighting!**

"Lord Dormin, my sword fell in the lake!" Wander said. Dormin was silent, contemplating this unfortunate event.

**Then thou must retrieve it, obviously.**

Wander sighed and dove down into the waters. Gaius, seeing his foe retreating, slammed its sword into the water and triggered another tidal wave and washed him to the bottom of the lake where the Ancient's Sword was stabbed into the lakebed. He grabbed it and tugged it free. _Lord Dormin, I can't get back to the surface in time!_ he pleaded.

**Stupid mortal!**

Wander felt as if something all-powerful seized him and he was thrust at high speeds through the water, surging forward with the sword pointing forward. And as if, by some divine trick, it landed embedded in Gaius's stomach. The giant looked down at the blade, then groaned and its eyes turned black as it fell facefirst into the lake. The tendrils needn't have bothered; the impact knocked Wander unconscious.

* * *

**Hahahaaa! How's THAT?! R and R!**


	5. Phaedra, the Horse

**Alrighty. With only one...crappy...review...**

**...I shall keep going. On to Phaedra!**

**Yes, Phaedra. ****I own nothing!**

**-------------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking

* * *

_

**Chapter 5**

The Horse

Only flits of conversation entered his exhausted mind.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. _We're_ here, are we not?"

"Yes, but--"

"Sssh! Silence, fools! He's waking up..."

Wander stirred and Dormin exhaled. The felled statue of Gaius caught Wander's immediate attention, despite the fact that he couldn't even move from exhaustion. Dimly, he was aware that the Ancient's Sword clattered to a halt right next to him.

**We were beginning to think thou would not awaken.**

Wander sighed. Agro nudged him with his snout, and he clung to the horse as it slowly arched its neck to help him up. "L-L-Lord...Dormin..." he said, almost passing out.

**Thine condition is severe. Had We not been the rulers of this land, We would not see that Gaius has most certainly taken his toll on thee. Thou shalt not go ANYWHERE until thine wounds have healed.**

For once, Wander didn't argue. Exhausted, he lay his head down and was soon fast asleep.

MEANWHILE

Emon felt like some force of an unknown presence was pushing him back--he had to fight a gale wind to move on. "Forward!" he shouted.

SHRINE OF WORSHIP

Wander awoke to hear chuckling. He looked down to see Agro had grabbed him by the foot and was pulling him around the temple. He kicked the horse and got free, then stood as Dormin laughed, Their amusement evident. "Lord Dormin, what is the next Colossus?" he asked.

**Phaedra. Art thou sure thy wounds have healed?**

"Yes, my lord." Wander replied, glancing at Mono. "Give me the clue as to where Phaedra is."

**Confident, aren't thee? Thy next foe is...in the land of vast green fields, rows of guarding graves...it is giant indeed but fearful, it is not.**

Not able to make any sense of this, Wander shrugged it off and mounted Agro, riding out of the Shrine of Worship.

Halfway through the journey, Wander felt his stomach growl. He hadn't eaten in days. He took out his bow and arrow and, after several tries, speared a lizard and some fruits and ate those before continuing on. Eventually he got to a spot where there was no light to shine on the sword, and so he just kept moving and hoped for the best.

His hopes proved true as a great valley opened up. An abyss swallowed up the light before him, and beyond it he could see a vast field with several bunker-looking mounds sticking out. Riding Agro down he curiously approached one. He cupped his hand to his mouth and shouted "Hello!" and the sound carried on through the stone tunnels.

Immediatly getting the feeling that always came when a Colossus was near, he slowly went around the corner into a closed-off area of the field. Before him was a gargantuan stone statue of a horse, with moss growing on its back and an entirely stone structure. "Whoa, this thing is huge." Wander said quietly, not wanting to alert the Colossus in case it was nearby. "I wonder who sculpted it?" Perhaps there was an opening, for it looked more like an alter or a sanctuary than anything else.

It was neither.

Wander felt a pale blue glow hit his face, and he looked up to see the black eye sockets of the 'statue' fill with light. Then he realized the structure was moving.

With a quiet groan Phaedra looked down at its foe, then examined itself before pressing its stony jagged legs into the ground, rising slowly. Despairing, Wander saw that its legs were entirely encased in stone, as was its lower torso and its neck and head. How was he supposed to climb this thing?!

Phaedra steadied itself, then Wander turned and called for Agro before realizing the horse had retreated away to the other side of the field. Swearing, Wander ran to the middle of the bunkers, with Phaedra slowly following.

**What art thou doing?! We expected thee to FIGHT Phaedra, not run from him!**

"In case you haven't noticed, Lord Dormin," Wander panted. "Phaedra's legs are made of solid stone! Even if I WANTED to climb this thing I couldn't!"

**Phaedra is indeed hard to scale, but he is a fool. Trick the Colossus to reach its back.**

Before Wander could protest, Dormin's voice faded away. Swearing loudly, and knowing Dormin would most likely yell at him if he left, he dove into a bunker as it was the only thing in the field besides Agro--

Agro...

Getting an idea, Wander shot several arrows at Phaedra, who was calmly watching Agro try to run farther. It clearly saw Wander as no threat. The first two arrows clinked uselessly against the Colossus's stone legs, but the third collided solidly with its neck. Giving a loud whine, Phaedra immediatly turned, eyes glowing red, just in time to see Wander duck into a bunker.

Inside the stone tunnels of the structure, Wander heard Phaedra moving above and was suddenly very concerned. These tunnels seemed to be as old as the Shrine of Worship--what if they couldn't support Phaedra's weight and collapsed on him? Dust was flying with every step the Colossus took, after all.

Suddenly a giant stone leg thrust itself into the space in front of the opening, the vibrations knocking Wander to the entrance of the tunnel. It seemed Phaedra knew he was in there and wanted him to come out. Another stomp followed the first, but by then Wander was already out the opposite tunnel and turned to see Phaedra bent over the bunker he had just been in, peering into the tunnel.

Knowing that he would never be able to get over to the Colossus in time without it hearing him, he mounted Agro--who had fled towards him to get away from Phaedra--and ran towards it, flinging himself onto the stone 'tail' hanging down in front of him. It seemed the stone was not some sort of piece of flesh, for Phaedra didn't even know he was on top of it until he reached its back--stone was stone, after all.

It gave the closest thing to a whinny it was ever going to get and turned its head to look back at him. Staring the Colossus in the eye, he was suddenly aware of how old and big it was, and he felt young and small looking at it. Suddenly it looked back in front of it and its back shifted to the left. Wander was nearly knocked over as Phaedra swung its back side to side in an attempt to shake him off. All it achieved was throwing him onto its neck.

Trying to shake off his weariness, he noticed a faint hiss of the Colossus's blood coming out of the center of its neck. Either the Colossus was injured a long time ago or this was Dormin's way of saying 'stab here.' It was probably both.

Raising his sword, he hesitated as Phaedra twisted its head to look back at him. Was it right to harm a beast that had done him no ill will? Of course, he had killed Quadratus, but that colossus had tried to STEP on him. He hesitated for a split second; then he plunged his sword into Phaedra's neck.

The beast moaned and its neck swayed. Wander stabbed again and, as if responding to its master's command, it lowered its neck to reveal a straight path to its head. He ran over and almost fell off as Phaedra righted itself, then the Colossus stepped forward to balance itself. Wander stabbed its head and the horse-colossus whinnied again, then flung its head upward, nearly unseating him. With a few more stabs, Phaedra hissed as the cold blood hit Wander in the face.

Then the mighty beast was fighting to stand. With one more stab, it lost the fight and its legs gave in. Collapsing onto its side, Phaedra let out a final moan and moved no more.

Wander let go and slowly slid to the ground, watching the shadow cover Phaedra's body. The tendrils emerged and buried themselves into his chest once more, and all went black.

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**How'd ya like it? I'd like to know. Read and review please!**


	6. Sub1:Whistling Arrows

**Okay, since these chapters are kinda long and I don't feel like making him fight Avion right now, I'll add a subchapter.**

**Enjoy! I own nothing!**

**P.S. Subchapters will be used to give Wander new items such as Flash Arrows and the Cloak of Deception.**

**-------------------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking_

**SubChapter 1**

Whistling Arrows

"Are you sure? Surely there's another way."

"No. Lord Dormin must have Their sacrifice or else--"

"Shh! He awakes..."

A deep rumbling sound surprised Wander, and he opened his eyes to see the idol that represented Phaedra crumble to the ground with a bang. Standing, his mind replayed the fight he had just overcome.

**Phaedra was, no doubt, a worthy challenge for thee, are We correct?**

Wander stretched and felt several muscles pop. "Yes, Lord Dormin." he said contentedly. "But I think four Colossi is enough for right now." he mentally hit himself. Surely Dormin would knock him flat with Their power for such impudence. Instead, the disembodied god surprised him by saying:

**Aye, thou art correct. Here is a new tool for thine efforts.**

The light directed itself to the back of the Shrine of Worship, where a pool was visible. Wander saw a long, slim item drop into the pool, and he ran over to it before reaching in. It was slender, and he held it carefully as he unwrapped it. Inside was an arrow shaft, but instead of an arrowhead it had a flute tied to the end. "Lord Dormin, what use is this if it cannot harm the Colossi?" he asked curiously.

**That is a Whistling Arrow. If the Colossus has lost sight of thee, shooting it will create a loud whistling sound to draw the colossus's attention in the direction it is shot.**

"Thank you, Lord Dormin." Wander said, bowing before fitting it to his bow and shooting it. As Dormin had said, the arrow created an immensely loud sound that echoed through the shrine. Satisfied with this new item, he went outside and shot a few more before returning to the shrine. "Lord Dormin, may I take these with me?" he asked hopefully. Dormin chuckled at Their warrior.

**Indeed. Thy next foe is...**

**Yes, I know, it was short. But keep in mind, it was a SUBchapter. From now on Wander will be able to use whistling arrows. Read and review please! I'll get right on Avion!**


	7. Avion, the Eagle

**Alright! Here we go: Avion!**

**Yes, Avion. The first time we played SOTC, when my brother got to Avion he got the sigil on the tail--an obvious vital point--but he couldn't find another. I nearly slapped him! It is a BIRD. Still don't know what it requires to take this eagle down?**

**Then read on.**

**-------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking

* * *

_

**Chapter 6**

The Eagle

**Thy next foe is...it casts a colossal shadow over the misty lake...soaring through the sky, to reach it is no easy feat.**

Taking this into his head, Wander mounted Agro and set off with a quick glance at the next idol.

His first thought, due to the 'misty lake' part, was to revisit Gaius's platform, but two Colossi couldn't be located in the same area, could they? And there was a lake with a spiral staircase leading down to it, but Dormin told him that was forbidden until They said he could enter it. So that left only one option.

Dismounting, he walked over to the water's edge and gazed at the stone structure barring his way. _Hmm, how will I get to the colossus? _he thought to himself. Then he looked at the lake, and seeing an underwater trench leading under the structure, he dove in. The water was COLD!

On the other side he ascended stone steps and looked around, mouth dropped open. There were beautiful intricate structures sticking from the water. In several spots there were small square platforms situated in peculiar areas of the lake.

But he couldn't locate the colossus.

"Lord Dormin?" he asked uncertainly.

**What is it?**

"Is this going to be another repeat of Quadratus? Y'know, where I can't see it until it's right in front of me?" he asked, uneasily shifting from side to side.

**Aye. Avion will not show itself until you enter its domain.**

Wander tried to question Them further, but Dormin's presence had already left his mind. Fuming, Wander stepped forward.

_**FWISH...FWISH...FWISH.FWISH.FWISHFWISHFWISHFWISH**_

That sounded like wingbeats. Looking up, he saw the sun blacked out as the giant colossus flew over him, beating its wings. "WHAT IS THAT?!" he yelled.

**An eagle.**

Dormin sounded very amused. Wander shook off the shock of seeing the giant bird and, without a glance in his direction, Avion seated itself on a pillar, shook its wings, and sat contentedly. Wander raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it going to come to me?" in all of his battles previously, the colossus had always come to _him_. Doing the opposite was strange to him.

**If thou truly wishes to draw Avion's attention, shoot it with an arrow.**

Fuming, Wander notched a whistling arrow and aimed, then let it fly. He missed, but the sound clearly irritated Avion. It made an angry glance in his direction, as if saying 'Try that again.' "My Lord, Avion seems to dislike me." Wander said, not wanting to get any nearer to this thing.

**If thou does not wish to slay the Colossi, perhaps we will do away with the maiden?**

From the sound of Dormin's voice, it sounded like They meant it. Wander took a deep breath...

...and dove into the icy waters.

When he surfaced, teeth chattering, he swam to a square platform and looked up at Avion. The colossus had quickly lost interest in him--once again--and was examining its wings and then its unnaturally long tail--despite the pillar's great height the tail was so long it nearly touched the surface of the water.

Angered that the beast, no matter how majestic, was ignoring him, Wander nocked an arrow and shot it at the Colossus, striking its wing. Avion screeched and pulled the arrow out as its blood streamed from the wound, then snapped it in half. Wander gulped and took a step back as Avion spread its wings.

He knew Dormin wouldn't answer, but he tried anyway. He only heard Their laughter. And that was when he noticed the fur/moss on Avion's wings. As the creature dived he leaped up and grabbed ahold of it. When Avion ascended it achieved a speed so great Wander was flattened against its body. Soon, however, it leveled out and he was able to climb onto its back. He felt despair overcome him when he realized its head was encased in stone. With every colossus he'd faced so far, one of its vitals had been its head.

"Lord Dormin, I've never fought a Colossus so complicated!" he complained.

**Avion is a bird, and We are sure thou knows how to kill a bird?**

_Take out the wings...of course! _Wander looked at the wings, and seeing how they flapped powerfully with every wingbeat his plan suddenly seemed impossible. How was he going to strike the wings? There was nothing to hold onto between the wingtip and where he was: it was solid, smooth, VERY slippery stone!

Looking to his left, he realized the incredibly long tail must be for giving Avion balance. Getting an idea, he ran down the length of its tail and was forced to grapple with the fur as Avion turned. Getting to the tip, he took a shot and stabbed.

His theory was correct, for three things happened: he felt a horrible shudder run through the colossus, Avion screeched, and they were going down VERY fast. Frantically he ran to the Colossus's shoulder blades and hung on tightly as they plunged to the ground. Avion stood and lashed its tail, flicking Wander off as easily as he might brush a fly from his leg. They were both grounded until Avion's tail healed, so that meant a battle on the ground.

Rolling to the side, he nocked an arrow and let it fly, piercing Avion's wing. It screeched and flapped its wings powerfully, knocking him back and into the waters. He stood, chattering from the cold water, and nocked another arrow before shooting it. Again it found its mark. Now Avion's left wing seemed to be numb, as it wasn't using that wing anymore. Grinning, Wander leaped at his now-helpess foe and stabbed it in the other wingtip.

With a howl that pierced his eardrums, Avion fell backwards into the water. This time Wander was ready for the tendrils, and embraced them. As he fell he twisted, and saw Agro turn and race in the direction of the Shrine as if called by some invisible force.


	8. Barba, the Dwarf

**Time for Barba! Or Barbus. I forget.**

**ANYWAYZ!**

**This guy is funny! He's a dwarf.**

**I own nuttin!**

**---------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking

* * *

_

**Chapter 7**

The Dwarf

The usual idol-destroying tremble surged Wander from his rest and he looked up to see whisps of blackness fade from around him. Standing, he saw water around him and remembered the duel with Avion. "Next time I see a bird, I'll shoot it right from the sky." he muttered.

**Thou seems confident with thyself.**

Dormin's voice sounded amused, and Wander glared at the hole in the ceiling. "You know, Lord Dormin, if you were in my place, battered and bruised by a giant BIRD, you'd be pretty confident if you survived too!" again Wander expected some kind of punishment from the god. But instead Dormin merely laughed. "Lord Dormin?"

**What is it?**

"At the beginning of my quest you would have knocked me flat for saying such things." he said to Them. "But you seem to be getting more patient. Why?"

**We cannot help but appreciate the great favor thou art doing for Us. Exhaustion can overwhelm even the most powerful of soldiers, and so thy reaction is expected.**

Mouth agape, Wander tried to understand this before shaking his head. "Very well, my lord. I am ready to fight the next Colossus."

**Thy next foe is...a giant lurks beneath the temple. It lusts for destruction, but a fool it is not.**

Hearing the word 'temple' Wander looked down, but judging by Dormin's chuckle he could guess the god was not talking about the Shrine of Worship. Mounting Agro, he set out.

For several hours Wander searched for a temple other than the Shrine of Worship, until at last he came to a giant stone structure with an entrance leading underground. Sighing, seeing that Agro could not follow, he spotted a turtle crawling slowly towards the entrance. Shrugging, he picked it up and set it on his shoulder before entering the tunnel.

After many leaps, dead ends and swearing, Wander finally came to an enormous chamber with three stone barracks, one after another, leading to a stone ruin similar to the one on Valus's plateau. Looking down at the long drop, he discovered rungs etched into the stone. Slowly climbing down, he peered around for the colossus. Dormin had said that his next foe was a giant, so he was looking for something big. But there weren't very many places for the beast to hide other than behind a huge central pillar.

When he reached the bottom, he set the turtle down and gazed at the chamber. There was nowhere for this thing to hide! Unless it managed to squeeze itself behind the barracks. Swearing, Wander kicked the wall he just climbed down.

It was then that Wander realized the wall had split near the top, making a sort of seam. He gulped as the lower part of the wall started to descend, showing an eerie cave behind it. When it was gone, two pulsing blue eyes stared out at him from the darkness. "Umm, Lord Dormin?"

**Aye?**

"I think I found the Colossus." he said, shivering as the beast pulled itself from its prison. Its legs were stone, like Valus and Gaius, and there was no weapon to climb up on. The only thing he could see that was furry, besides the back of the beast's hands and its head and back, was a scraggly beard that dangled down from the Colossus's chin.

**Aaah, thou hath found Barba? Well done. Now make sure he does not step on thee.**

Swearing, and hearing Dormin's laughter in the back of his mind, Wander unsheathed the Ancient's Sword and held it up. However, since he was in the shadow of the beast there was no light to reveal a way up. Cursing loudly, Wander took out his bow and shot the beast right on the head. Other than a very loud roar and Barba stomping angrily, it had no effect on the colossus.

Wander turned and saw an outcropping jutting out from one of the barracks. He leaped up and grabbed it, then hauled himself up and leaped over the edge of the stone wall to the other side. Looking back at Barba he saw the beast's eyes turn from blue to red. Smirking he shot several arrows at it. "Can't get me, can ya?! No!" laughing at the Colossus, he did not notice it was still moving forward.

_**CRAAACK!!**_

Wander's smile faded and he found himself flung backwards against the central pillar as Barba walked right through the barrack as if it weren't there. Gaping at his foe, Wander stumbled to his feet and tried to move away. Barba, however, was angry enough that he had been shooting arrows at it, and seeing its foe try to leave it swatted an arm at him. Wander was sent flying right over the next barrack by the Colossus's strength.

Fumbling for his sword, he raised it to the little light that was left when the dust cleared. He knew there was a weakspot on Barba's head, bu the other seemed to be on its chest. That presented a problem, seeing as with no way to climb up and seeing as Barba would smash him against it if he tried to climb down, he would be stuck with shooting arrows from afar. He suddenly heard Dormin speak to him.

**Find a place where thou art hidden.**

Looking back, hearing the crack of Barba destroyed the second barrack, Wander saw he had only one more to go. Looking up at his colossal foe, he leaped to the top of the final barrack and made a guess as to whether the Colossus would want to kill him bad enough to reach into the structure.

This thought stream was cut short, however, as Barba broke through the barrack with Wander still on top. Skidding back, he dimly saw Barba step over the rubble towards him. With a yelp he scrambled behind a pillar on the structure and waited.

Hearing the giant's footfalls as it shuffled around, Wander tried to speak to Dormin but only heard silence from Them. Then, suddenly, everything was quiet. Curious as to if Barba had retreated or not, Wander edged around the pillar...

...and found himself face-to-face with the Colossus.

Barba, knowing that Wander had hidden behind the pillar, had knelt down so that if the warrior moved it would see him. Then it waited. Its patience was rewarded as the Colossus growled lightly at Wander, but its tiny foe had an idiotic grin on his face.

"Can't get under here, huh?!" he smirked. "You may have been able to get past man-made barracks, but this is solid stone, Barba! You'll never--!" so content was he with jeering at the giant he never noticed Barba raising its arm.

_**BOOM**_

Wander was flung back and collided with the stone wall. Dazed, his confused brain realized Barba had struck the ruins. Hearing the beast chuckling, he raised his sword and leaped at the beard which was dangling in front of him.

Feeling Wander seize the beard, Barba roared and stood, shaking its head to try and get him off. Wander slid to the bottom of the beard and used the Colossus's momentum to vault up onto its head, sword point-down. Roaring as the sword struck its head, Barba let out a howl and flung its head back. Wander slid down its now-vertical neck to its back, as he figured all bipeds required the use of their spine.

His theory was correct, and with one stab Barba roared, shaking wildly. Wander twisted the sword and the beast leveled out before he stabbed again. This time Barba wasn't able to fight, and it fell sideways before crashing into the stone floor. Wander smiled and let go of the Colossus, which was rapidly being covered in shadow, and embraced the black tendrils.

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**How was it? Read and review please!**


	9. Hydrus, the Electric Eel

**TIME-FOR-HYDRUS!**

**Who else hated this guy?**

**(silence)**

**Yeesh, fine. I own nothing.**

**----------------------------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking

* * *

_

**Chapter 8**

The Electric Eel

There were more whispers than ever now. He felt Agro nudge him as the idol representing Barba fell to oblivion. And as usual, right when he opened his eyes the whispers stopped. Standing, he walked over to Mono and gazed at her. Brushing a strand of hair from her eyes, he contemplated the peaceful expression on her face.

Then, hearing the rumble signalling that Dormin was about to speak, he turned and faced the ceiling.

**Thou hath been doing well. We should congratulate thee on defeating Barba.**

"Um, yeah. Next time, Lord Dormin, please tell me if the Colossus will be able to walk through solid stone." Wander said sarcastically.

**We said We would congratulate thee. Just because thou hath defeated six Colossi doth not mean that thy duty to Us has changed.**

Wander sighed and pointed the Ancient's Sword at the hole in the ceiling. "Tell me where the next colossus is so I don't have to listen to you anymore!" he snapped. A strong force hit him square in the chest, and he was flung back before he slammed into the alter with Mono on it.

**Remember that thou art here to complete the task We gave thee. If there is no task, or if thou doth not complete the task, the maiden shalt not be revived!**

Dormin really sounded mad. Sheathing the sword, Wander stood and said, "Very well, Lord Dormin. Tell me where the next colossus is."

**Thy next foe is...a ruin hidden in the lake...a ripple of thunder lurks underwater.**

Still being able to make no sense of Dormin's riddles, Wander mounted his horse and set out. Had he looked back he would have seen six human-shaped shadows staring at him with cold, lifeless blue eyes.

After several hours of traveling, Wander remembered the lake with the spiral staircase that Dormin had said was forbidden. Eagerly heading to that location he didn't realize he was being stalked by a giant hawk, which was flying high overhead. What he also didn't realize was that the hawk would be a great ally in the future.

Reaching the lake, he kicked Agro lightly and the horse slowly stepped through a crack in the pillars to the lake below. Dismounting, Wander left his faithful horse behind and ascended to the stop of the spiral staircase, where a small platform let him overlook the entire lake. Remembering that Quadratus, Avion and Barba had all been hidden until he got to a certain spot he was not about to ask Dormin for Their help.

He heard a whinny behind him and looked back to see Agro fleeing the area as fast as he could. Evidently something in the water had scared his mount. That meant the Colossus was close. Taking a deep breath, Wander plunged into the waters.

This led to three effects. Wander surfaced and shouted 'WHY IS EVERY LAKE SO DANG COLD?!'. Several birds took flight due to his blurted question. And something started to move under the lake.

Turning, Wander saw that underneath the water was a long, slim shape with three spikes jutting out along its body. At first Wander just thought it was some rocks attached to an unnaturally long stream of seaweed, but then he noticed it had eyes. He also noticed it was heading right for him.

The Colossus surfaced for only a moment before diving down again, and in that short time Wander collided with one of the spikes. He felt pain jolt through his veins and shoot outwards through the water, numbing his entire body in a matter of seconds. As he floated belly up, his thought rate slowed dramatically. _I-it's...electric...?! _he thought weakly.

In the back of his mind he heard Dormin chuckling Their amusement, and it jolted him to his senses. He quickly swam to a platform jutting at an odd angle from the water and screamed at the sky, "I'M FIGHTING AN ELECTRIC EEL IN A _LAKE_?!"

**We would call Hydrus a seaserpent, but electric eel works just as well.**

Seeing that Dormin would be no help, Wander looked down and noticed how large and furry Hydrus's tail was. Quickly getting an idea, he timed how long it took for Hydrus's tail to re-submerge, then he jumped. His timing was perfect, and he landed directly on Hydrus's tail.

However, he realized this was a problem as Hydrus resubmerged. If he lifted a hand to crawl forward, the grip he had on Hydrus would weaken and he'd be forced to let go of the Colossus. His worries were quickly eliminated, however, as it seemed even Hydrus needed to take a breath: the beast resurfaced.

Running down the length of the creature's spine, Wander knelt next to the first spike and stabbed it roughly. Black blood spewed from it and blinded him as they submerged, but when Hydrus next went up he found the spike no longer shocked him.

Grinning he repeated the process with the other two spikes, but then Hydrus dove deeper than it had before and Wander found his need to breathe becoming more and more urgent. By the time the Colossus resurfaced he was blue, and inhaled a great quantity of air before stabbing the beast's head fiercely. So angry was he that his thrusts were agonizing to the poor beast.

Hydrus was clearly in too much pain for it to bear, and when Wander let the final blow fall Hydrus flipped over, belly-up, and sank to the bottom of the lake. Gasping, Wander struggled to keep above the water. He needn't have bothered--the black tendrils overtook him quickly.

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**Was that too rushed? If it was I'm sorry. Read and review please!**


	10. Sub2:The Mask and Cloak of Strength

**Time for some new items!**

**I own nothing!**

**----------------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking

* * *

_

**SubChapter 2**

Mask of Strength

Cloak of Strength

Hearing the idol of Hydrus fall like all the others, Wander opened his eyes and immediatly shielded them; the light coming from the hole in the ceiling was far more intense then he ever remembered it to be. Standing, he gazed lovingly at Mono before hearing the rumble that signalled Dormin, and he gazed up as They began to speak.

**At last!**

Realizing that the disembodied god wasn't intending on saying anything else, Wander felt the anger from the last battle overwhelm him. "YOU gave me no help defeating Hydrus; you merely laughed!" he bellowed at the light coming from the hole above.

**Thou did not need Our help, for if thou did We would have most certainly aided thee.**

"I almost drowned TWICE and was electrocuted!" he hollered at Them. "And YOU think this is still funny?!" For several minutes silence filled the Shrine of Worship. When Dormin next spoke it sounded like They were bored.

**Had We known thou was such a child, We would have never even considered thy wish. Very well, a token for thine efforts.**

Remembering the whistling arrows, Wander looked at the back of the shrine and saw _two_ items fall into the pool. Eagerly, he scrambled towards the pool and hauled the objects out. Inside he found a cloak with black markings on it and a green-tinged mask that would cover the upper-half of his face.

Curiously, he walked back to the center of the Shrine and deposited the items where Dormin's light was shining before raising his head. "What are these, my lord?"

**The items of Strength. The Cloak of Strength will give thee increased power when fighting Colossi, while the Mask of Strength allows thy vision to locate the vitals of Colossi.**

"How does the mask show me the vitals?" Wander asked, already putting the cloak over his old one.

**The mask shalt show the vitals in the shape of glowing blue symbols, but only when thou is looking at the correct spot. If the mask is removed, however, the symbols fade from sight.**

Nodding, Wander put the mask on his face before looking up at Dormin's light. "I am ready."

**Then thy next foe is...

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**

**What did you think? I'll get on Kuromori right away.**


	11. Kuromori, the Salamander

**HEEEEEERE'S Kuromori!**

**At first I thought Kuromori was a ferret, and I didn't want to attack it because I love ferrets! Then I thought it was some kind of armadillo. Naturally I started attacking it. And THAT'S when I realized that Kuromori is, in fact, a lizard.**

**Don't believe me? Read this chapter, see how Kuromori acts and THEN tell me what you think.**

**But until then, I own nothing!**

**--------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking_

**Chapter 9**

The Lizard

**Thy next foe is...a tail trapped within a pail deep within the forest...it is a shadow that crawls on walls.**

Having defeated seven Colossi now, Wander was starting to get some of Dormin's riddles. From the sound of it, the next Colossus had a tail and was somewhere in the forest. Apparently it could also walk on walls. But what did They mean about the pail? Wander shrugged it off, reasoning he'd find out soon enough.

There were many forests in the Forbidden Land, but finally Wander came to the conclusion the 'forest' was probably not in a place with lots of trees. Seeing as every colossus so far had been near some sort of ancient ruin or behind a rock, Wander looked for anything out of the ordinary. He came to a field too big to comprehend, with a giant door in the far-off distance. He was about to head for it when Dormin used all of Their power to push him away from it.

Turning angrily, Wander noticed a hole in a nearby mountain. Entering the cave he found a giant waterfall, with a lake far below and a ragged-looking bridge of stone leading across. Dismounting, he ran across the bridge to find a temple in the middle of a pond, with several different varieties of trees covering a large portion of the land here. Wander had found the forest.

Entering the temple, hoping this wouldn't be a repeat of Barba, Wander descended underground and found himself in a large cylindrical structure, like a collesium but far smaller, with several floors of pillars overlooking...what? Seeing a destroyed portion of the wall, Wander advanced and looked down.

At first he thought there was nothing down there and he was merely looking at his own shadow, but he suddenly realized it was both the wrong size and the wrong shape. It was also impossible that it was an oddly-shaped patch of dark ground because it was moving and far too defined for that. And so he came to a conclusion: this was the Colossus.

This colossus was much smaller than the others and took the shape of an giant lizard. Raising an eyebrow at the size, Dormin answered his unasked question.

**Not all Colossi are as big as mountains. Kuromori is not the only one that is smaller than the others.**

Trying to ignore the disembodied god's know-it-all attitude, he put on the mask to search for the vitals. His eyes somehow knew he was looking in the right place, but the creature was too small for the vitals to be anywhere but the back, and the creature's back looked to be as hard as rock. Even if he DID stab it there the beast wouldn't feel a thing.

Either that or the sword would break.

Cursing about a defective piece of junk, Wander ripped the mask from his face and hurled it down before realizing he had missed the floor and it was hurtling towards Kuromori. The tiny object hit Kuromori in the head and the beast paused, then eerily raised its head to look at him. Its head was also stony, as if it were wearing a mask of its own.

Remembering Dormin's warning about Kuromori being able to crawl on walls, Wander backed away and ducked behind a big portion of the wall. He felt the building shudder as the Colossus climbed up, then he had to stop himself from gasping as Kuromori stuck its head in through the hole in the wall.

Finding its prey gone, Kuromori waited to see if anything was moving before lowering itself back to the bottom of the 'pail'. Exhaling, Wander edged to the opening to see the colossus looking around to see where its foe had gone. Trying to figure out where to stab this creature, wondering if Dormin would offer him Their help, he didn't see Kuromori's back glow yellow.

_**ZZZZZPP**_

Wander was thrown back and hit the wall, dazed, as he found himself confronted with a yellow fog. Blinking, he noticed electricity on the edges of the smog and groaned. That was the second electric colossus he'd encountered. Then he realized Kuromori was still on the bottom floor--how could it have produced electricity so close to him? Walking to the edge, he saw Kuromori's back glow and a shot of yellow energy erupted from its mouth. He yelled in surprise and fell one floor down, grappling for the hole in the wall as he yelled at Dormin.

"IT CAN SHOOT AT ME?!" he screamed. This was the first time a Colossus had ever been able to attack hime without directly assaulting him.

**We don't really think that thou requires that answer from Us. If thou wishes to defeat Kuromori, find a way to seal its quick movement.**

Again having NO idea what They were talking about, Wander ran to the opposite edge of the level and suddenly realized that Kuromori had crawled up onto the walls to see if he was still there. It then occured to him that the beast's legs were glowing yellow. Just like--

His sudden realization froze him in his tracks, and a grin appeared on his face. _Just like Quadratus's hooves._ he thought. Eagerly pulling out his bow, he shot an arrow at one of Kuromori's legs. Immediatly the yellow tinge vanished and the Colossus groaned as the leg he'd shot darkened. He reckoned that it had gone numb, since it drifted off of the wall and hung down. But still the colossus clung to the wall.

Annoyed, he shot another leg and watched as Kuromori, unable to hold on, crashed to the ground with a satisfying _thud_. Leaping down, he suddenly realized that the beast's chest was very furry. Leaping on he expirimentally stabbed where its heart should have been. As expected, Kuromori squealed and recoiled, and when Wander twisted the Ancient's Sword the Colossus even roared in agony before waving its legs.

Having seen lizards do this when he shot them, he realized Kuromori was about to get up. He leaped from it as it flipped over and suddenly saw the Mask of Strength lying underneath the Colossus's bulk. Unable to get at it, he turned and ran up a flight of stairs just as Kuromori turned and saw him go up. He felt the building shudder and glanced down to see Kuromori had shot into the opening, and a yellow cloud was quickly rising up.

Repeating the process with some difficulty, Wander retrieved the mask and put it on to see another sigil appear directly below where the first had been. When he stabbed it Kuromori wailed, then fell silent and moved no more. Fastening the mask to his cloak, Wander didn't notice the black tendrils were moving towards him until it was too late.

**Ku-ro-mo-ri! That's a cool name, I think. Read and review please!**


	12. Basaran, the Tortoise

**Time for Basaran.**

**Man, I hate this guy. It would've been better if they cut Basaran out and replaced him with some other Colossus. But sadly, they didn't. So I am now to write how Wander battled with this monster.**

**I own nothing.**

**--------------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking

* * *

_

**Chapter 10**

The Tortoise

_**KRMMMBLL**_

The sound, as usual, awoke Wander from his unconscious state, and he dizzily looked up to see Kuromori's idol crumble to the floor. Grinning, realizing he had now slain eight Colossi, he stood and gazed at those that remained. _Half are gone._ he thought quietly. He then looked up, curious as to why Dormin hadn't spoken to him yet. "Lord Dormin?" he called.

**Aye?**

"Is there something...wrong?" Wander asked. There was silence for a while, then he heard the rumbling sound that signalled Dormin's speech.

**If there is any tiredness in thy body, thou must get rid of it now, before thou moves to the next Colossus. It shall consume all of thy strength.**

Contemplating this, Wander checked himself. Kuromori had been a bit of a doozy, but its electric shock wore off after the first few minutes. Overall, except for an ache in his arm from when he'd grabbed the opening in the wall, he was okay. "I am ready, my lord. What is my next foe?" he was sure if he could prove to Dormin that this next Colossus, whatever it was, was something he could handle then Dormin would give him another item.

Apparently, his overconfidence only annoyed Them, but They said nothing.

**Then thy next foe is...the land where trees nary grow...sleeping at the bottom of the lake, it is a rude awakening.**

Even though he had expirienced similar riddles, this one made no sense. Hoping it wasn't going to be aquatic like Hydrus, he set off on Agro.

Wander's first thought of the place where the Colossus lay was 'Eww.'

The air was murky and although there was no water in sight, a closed-off field filled with geysers was right in front of him. Seeing that this could, at one point, have been an underwater lake, he headed for a great cave seeing as that was usually a favorite hiding place of colossi.

He approached the cave and peered in. It was HUGE. If the Colossus really _was_ in there it'd be bigger than Phaedra! Unfortunately for him, the Colossus heard his footfalls and opened its electric blue eyes.

With a deep rumble and a roar a great stony head rose into view. Wander gulped and stepped back as the great beast lifted itself on legs that seemed far too skinny to support its massive body. It looked like a turtle, but with spikes on its shell.

Make that a snapping turtle.

Its lower 'jaw' hung far out past its upper jaw, and its body was entirely cased in stone except for its chest. No other furry patches were visible on the entire Colossus. Wander felt his jaw drop open. How was he supposed to climb this thing?!

Either the Colossus could read minds or it was thinking the same thing as him, because it clearly saw him as not any kind of threat but as an intruder invading its property. It raised its head to show four bright yellow glows on its chin before the shots fired at Wander. "NOT AGAIN!" he yelled just as they hit him, and he was flung back right over a hole in the ground. Unfortunately that hole turned out to be a geyser which erupted at that exact moment, and he was shot sky-high.

Landing only a few feet from the Colossus, Wander stood and whistled for Agro. _Lord Dormin, what do I do?! _he pleaded.

**Use the environment to thine advantage. The power of the earth shall shake even Basaran...**

_Basaran? THAT'S what it's called! _Wander thought. Having just been shot out of one, he knew how strong the geysers were. Maybe _that_ was what They were talking about. Luring Basaran over to him, the Colossus lifted its chin just as the geyser sprung up.

Basaran roared in surprise and it flailed wildly, only two legs on the ground. Something on its ankles shifted and revealed two glowing weakspots. Seeing a fatal flaw in the Colossus's armor, Wander drew two arrows and shot them at the same time. Both found their mark, and Basaran, without anything to support it, was knocked clean over. Its momentum rolled it over for several seconds, then it stopped on its side. This revealed a furry path to its back.

Unsheathing the Ancient's Sword, Wander leaped up and grabbed the fur before hauling himself to its back without thinking of where he would stab on a beast entirely encased in stone armor. When he reached the top Basaran flipped back right-side-up and roared, feeling the tiny adventurer crawling around on it. Finding nothing to hold on to, Wander simply kept going.

His way of seeing things changed drastically when he reached its head. A tiny patch of fur, just barely big enough for him to climb on, was sitting neatly on top of Basaran's head. He wouldn't have even noticed it if he weren't looking for it. Jumping, Wander landed right on top of the furry patch.

This was where it got tough. With so little to hang on to he'd be a goner if Basaran shook him off. That meant he only had a few seconds to kill this thing. Stabbing in rapid succession, twisting the Ancient's Sword as he did so, he managed to topple the mighty Colossus.

Basaran was too heavy to fall sideways, so it merely dropped, its weakened legs unable to support its weight. Roaring in pain, Basaran's head collided with the ground and it moved no more. Congratulating himself, Wander didn't see the black tendrils poking from the Colossus's head underneath him. He blacked out, seeing Agro run back towards the Shrine.

* * *

**Hahahaa! Take THAT, Basaran!**


	13. Dirge, the Sandsnake

**Dirge!**

**No, not dirt, DIRGE. I know, horrible joke, but then again, with an amazing 3 reviews, I'M GETTING DESPERATE!**

**(ahem) Sorry. I own nothing.**

**-------------------------------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking

* * *

_

**Chapter 11**

The Sandworm

_**CRAAACK!!**_

The idol representing Basaran fell like all the others. Wander awoke to find the whispering cease at once, and he heavily stood before stretching.

**Did Basaran not tire thee?**

"Basaran?" Wander asked Them. "Yes, he did, but not to the point of exhaustion. Gaius is still the most tiring of all the Colossi."

**Art thou ready for thy next foe?**

Wander shook his head. Kuromori and Basaran had been enough for one week. "I need some rest, Lord Dormin." he said. If Dormin had been visible They would have nodded.

**Very well. Thou hast two days to prepare.**

And with that, Dormin's presence left him.

MEANWHILE

Emon galloped his horse through the forest, clenching his teeth against the foul wind. _This is going to be harder than I thought! _he contemplated. Two of his men had been left behind, and the remaining three were determined to wait for them at the edge of the forest. They had to keep going!

WANDER

Two days later, Wander approached the Shrine of Worship and the rumbling that signalled Dormin's presence entered the room.

**Thy next foe is...an isolated sand dune, its tracks are well hidden...shaking the earth, its gaze is upon thee.**

Wondering if this was going to be something similar to Valus and Quadratus, Wander shrugged off the apocalyptic feeling that something was wrong and left the shrine atop Agro.

He led Agro down to the beach where he'd killed Quadratus and dismounted, then walked up to the giant corpse and leaned against it. He waited for a few seconds, then set off again, feeling that something was very, very wrong.

He came to a cove and looked up to see several hawks circling a giant dead tree. Then he turned and saw a giant hawk, the size of a baby eagle at least, perched on a nearby rock, looking at him with interest. Either that or curiosity, and if neither of those it was looking at him with impatience.

"Lord Dormin, what is this?" Wander asked uneasily. The hawk's body suggested it was a different breed than the others, but still very young. The eyes, however, looked ancient. The more Wander looked at it the older it looked.

**Aah, thou hath found Loki.**

"Loki?" Wander asked. As soon as he said its name, Loki spread his wings and took off, flying right over Wander.

**Trust Us, thou will become used to having Loki around.**

Puzzled, Wander entered the cave under the tree and gasped as a flock of bats flew at him. Swinging his sword he killed two of them and continued, sheathing the sword again.

He found himself in a great cavern where four rock pillars spiraled to the ceiling. A hole let light in through the rocky ceiling as he walked across the sands until he was standing in the center. "Dormin, is this going to be small like Kuromori?" he asked, his voice echoing in the empty cavern.

Turns out it wasn't empty.

The ground shook beneath him, and he kicked his heels into Agro's sides. The horse whinnied and raced away from the center just as a giant, stony head penetrated the sands. Wander looked back and gaped at the sandsnake behind him. It was wide enough for four of him to fit on its back at once, and its back was the only part of its body that had fur on it.

Finding Wander had disappeared, the Colossus dove back into the sands and seconds later reemerged, cutting through the sand as it headed for Wander. Agro whinnied and galloped away, almost knocking Wander off. Then Wander saw the Colossus's eyes were yellow instead of blue.

"Lord Dormin! What Colossus is this?" he yelled out as he readied an arrow and aimed.

**Dirge.**

"Well then, Dirge is about to get a headache." Wander said confidently before letting the arrow fly.

_**RAAOOUUUUUU**_

There was a blast of sand and Wander found himself knocked from Agro as the horse was flung to the other side of the chamber by the force of what had just happened. Wander turned to see Dirge spiraling towards him, both eyes closed. He crouched and leaped to the side just as the Colossus would have hit him.

_**WHAM**_

Wander heard Dirge groan and looked back. The beast had slammed into the wall headfirst! Trying to figure out what happened, Wander saw an arrow embedded in Dirge's left eye. Of course. He'd blinded it!

He unsheathed the Ancient's Sword and leaped on, stabbing its back. Dirge squealed and writhed wildly as Wander continued stabbing. Eventually Dirge didn't respond to that spot, so Wander climbed higher and let loose again. It only took a few tries: Dirge was no more.

As the Colossus's corpse fell to the side and collided with the sand, Wander sheathed his sword and waited as the tendrils took him.

* * *

**Seriously. Can somebody give me a review? There's more than 80 hits. But oh well. Read and review, I guess.**


	14. Celosia, the Boar

**'Sup? FINALLY I'm done with Dirge. I couldn't think of how to describe that battle!**

**But now I get to have some fun with Celosia. . Read on, read on.**

**I own nothing!**

**---------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking_

**Chapter 12**

The Boar

_**BOOM**_

Subconsciously, Wander was aware of the bodies around him rapidly fading. Groaning, he got to his feet and looked at the rubble where Dirge's statue had been only moments before. And so another idol fell.

Hearing the rumble of Dormin's presence, he looked up as the light got brighter.

**Thou hath done well on thy quest so far. But six colossi remained.**

The young man felt a thrill as They told him this. Only six were left. He looked back at Mono, and for the first time saw white doves pecking at the stones around her alter. He counted them. Ten doves. Ten Colossi dead. Puzzled, he looked up at the light. "I am ready for the next Colossus, Lord Dormin." he declared.

The god's chuckle rang in his ears. Trying not to avert his eyes, Wander stared confidently at the spot where Dormin's light shone brightest.

**Very well. Thy next foe is...an alter overlooks the lake...it's guardian set loose, it keeps the flames alive.**

Hoping he wasn't about to come face-to-face with some sort of dragon, Wander mounted Agro and set out. Dormin watched as Their tool went. They really needed to give him a break when he returned to the Shrine of Worship.

Wander had looked for hours when he suddenly saw one of the giant pits had a ramp leading down into it. Dismounting, he entered the pit to see a lake with land on the other side of the pit. He swam to the edge and looked up to see another ramp leading to the next level.

Ascending the ramp he found a hole in the rock wall in front of him, which led to a chamber filled with man-made pillars with flames on them. Curious, he approached it to find stairs leading up. Sighing at all these upper floors, he went up the staircase to find himself on a sort of balcony overlooking the tunnel he'd just gone through.

To the right there was another balcony overlooking the lake. At one point there might have been a small bridge leading to it but whatever was there then...wasn't now. He'd have to jump. He was about to leap when he realized that there was a low growling sound reverbrating through the alter. Shrugging it off, he jumped to the other balcony.

The growling suddenly got much louder. He looked up to see a dark shape, twice as big as a cheetah, leap from a platform above him and land in the middle of the balcony. It was then that Wander realized he'd found the Colossus.

It had two sharp horns curving from the sides of its mouth, and had iron claws on its feet along with rock armor on its head and back. It was even smaller than Kuromori!

Seeing no exposed flesh except for the legs, which were rock solid, Wander thought for sure this thing was going to spear him. Shaking rocks and dirt from its form, it growled softly and waited for him to make a move. Wander was sure if he moved a muscle that it would charge. Unfortunately, he couldn't stay still for long.

Rolling to the side he unsheathed the Ancient's Sword and looked up to see two blue dots rapidly approaching him.

_**BAM**_

_**THUD**_

Wander lifted his head and found the Ancient's Sword was no longer in his hand. He looked around. Where was it?! Trying to sit up, he heard one of his ribs crack and gasped. What had happened? Wander remembered being hit with the force of a small train, and he'd been hit in the chest and knocked into the tunnel between the two balconies.

Looking up he saw the Colossus looking at him from the balcony, growling softly. It had rammed him over the edge! Hissing with pain, he slowly stood and carefully made his way to the balcony opposite his opponent. It was waiting for him to come back. Gaping, he saw the Ancient's Sword had been embedded in its neck from when it'd smashed into him.

"How am I supposed to get it back?!" he hissed.

**Celosia fears most what he is sworn to protect. He fears the flames.**

Leaping to the other balcony, Wander flattened himself as Celosia charged again. He wasn't used to Colossi being so fast! The beast barreled right over him and Wander quickly climbed the tower, then he crouched and tried to find a way to get the flame down to Celosia.

He didn't have to.

_**WHAM**_

Wander toppled from the pillar as it was hit with such force that it shuddered. He groaned and closed his eyes, waiting for Celosia to finish him. It didn't.

He opened his eyes to see a stick, the end on fire, next to him. Celosia had made a whining sound and backed away while keeping his eyes on the torch. Knowing it'd be blown out soon, Wander picked it up and retreated to the space next to the pillar. As soon as the torch went out Celosia approached and tried to claw its way into the space where Wander was hiding.

Lighting the torch again, Wander waved it in front of Celosia. The beast, in terror, backed up and out of a hole in the rock behind it. When it hit the ground below, the beast's armor cracked and its backplates fell off to reveal a furry back. Its momentum caused it to keep going, and it flipped from the small platform onto the ground below. Wander leaped down and grabbed the Ancient's Sword, which had fallen out of the beast's armor, and propelled himself to the Colossus, point down.

Celosia shreiked when the blade hit its vital, and it shook wildly before racing away from where it had fallen. It took Wander with it.

Wander twisted the blade, causing Celosia to stop, and he stabbed it again. Celosia fell to the ground and didn't get back up. Surprised that this was all it took to kill Celosia, Wander stood as the beast's body began to darken and didn't see the tendrils until they impaled him.

**Yayz! 1 new reviewer! Read and review please!**


	15. Sub3:Flash Arrows?

**New subchapter!**

**Now he gets one of my personal favs!**

**I own nothing!**

**------------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking_

**Subchapter 3**

Flash Arrows

The sound of Celosia's idol crumbling awoke Wander with a shudder. He got to his knees and shook his head, then stole a glance at Mono. She didn't seem to be deceased at all--only tired. Hearing the rumbling that signalled Dormin once again, he raised his head to the light.

**Thou hath done wisely in thine battles.**

Wander nodded and got into a crouching position, but when he tried to stand the spot where Celosia had charged him throbbed and he gasped before crouching again, clutching his side. The mocking laughter of the god boomed through the Shrine, and Wander clenched his teeth before slowly easing up. Eventually the pain subsided and he looked confidently to the hole in the ceiling.

**Thou cannot go anywhere with an injury like that. Without a powerful tool, that is.**

_**splash**_

Hearing the faint sound at the back of the temple, Wander turned and saw ripples on the pool next to the spiral staircase. He made his way over and reached into the water before pulling out...

"Lord Dormin?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the object in his hand.

**Aye?**

"This is an arrow shaft with a bag attached to it." he said flatly, angered that the god had given him something so useless. Dormin chuckled at his foolishness.

**Thou might want to be careful with thine Flash Arrows.**

"Careful?!" Wander spat. "It's a piece of junk!" he threw it to the ground.

_**BOOOM**_

Wander was blasted back and hit the alter where Mono lay. Several bones in his spine cracked from the impact, and he gasped before moving a hand to the areas. Then he looked up...

...and saw an ash-blackened crater near the pool.

Gaping, he stood and walked over before retrieving more of the Flash Arrows from the bottom of the pool. He stared at them in disbelief.

**Those flash arrows are covered in what the humans call gunpowder. We shalt give them to thee, but thou shalt only be able to use them when thy need is dire.**

The arrows faded and reappeared in Wander's quiver. He nodded, still amazed, and turned to Dormin's light. "Lord Dormin, I am ready for my next Colossus." he said. Dormin chuckled softly. This boy was beginning to act more like a colossus. If only he knew why.

**Very well, young warrior. Thy next foe is...**


	16. Pelagia, the Aquatic Lightning

**I. Hate. This. Guy.**

**Yes, Pelagia. The thing. Seriously, I have no idea what this thing is.**

**But then again, neither do the creators, probably. He looks most like a rhino or a frog or something.**

**Then again, I guess he's better than Malu--whoops, getting a bit sidetracked. Anywayz, enjoy.**

**I own nothing!**

**-----------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking

* * *

_

**Chapter 13**

The Aquatic Lightning

**Thy next foe is...paradise floats on the lake...a silent being wields thunder...a moving bridge to cross to higher ground...**

This one had really stumped Wander: What and where was this thing?! He had spent longer trying to find this thing than he had trying to find Celosia!

Wait a minute...maybe that was what he needed to do. Think of the other Colossi. Except for Valus, they had all been hidden. He thought back to any Colossus that might help him remember a clue. Quadratus, Gaius, Phaedra, Avion, Barba, Hydrus, Kuromori--

Kuromori.

He remembered how he had looked in every forest. In one of the forests, across a small stone bridge, he had found a waterfall with a lake. Retracing his footsteps back to that lake, he swam to the center and heaved himself up onto the platform in the center. Squeezing his cloak to get the water out, he looked around. Three stone alters were floating in front of him, each as big as this one in diameter but much taller. Wander was beginning to think there was no Colossus here.

_**fwsssshhhh**_

The unexpected sound in such a quiet place jolted Wander from his daze, and he whirled to find several large ripples on the surface of the water. Naturally the Colossus would be underneath his weakzone: under the surface. Unsheathing the Ancient's Sword, he prepared himself.

_**MMMMMMM**_

The sound was far to big--and the wrong sound--to be made by any small creature. Wander watched in horrified silence as a giant creature of unknown origin rose in front of him. And by unknown origin, I mean he had no idea what it was.

Other than the Colossus, of course.

Hearing something clack against stone, the giant beast turned and Wander glanced down at the legs. They were more like moss-covered pillars sticking from the water. Its entire back--and head--were also in covered with the moss. Another eerie fact was that it had no eyes...and it had two horns with blue energy flared up on the tips.

Seeing every bit of the creature was made of stone except for the back and head, Wander decided the vital was somewhere up there. But unfortunately for him, while he was trying to devise a strategy, the Colossus had found him. He also didn't realize that the blue energy was turning yellow.

_**CHUUM-CHUUM**_

_**SPLASH**_

Wander surfaced, spitting out water, and gawked at the giant beast as it moved around the pillar to get at him. As far as he knew, two bolts of energy had shot at him from the Colossus's horns. Sighing, Wander decided that he had now faced three electric-happy Colossi.

**Pelagia is no fool. And thou must know more than it to reach its vital.**

Wander replayed Dormin's message in his head before realizing that They had been implying the beast only had one vital! Grinning, Wander clambered up onto the platform, only to be zapped--again--by Pelagia's energy. When he surfaced again, his eyes flashed red before returning to their natural color. With strength he didn't know he had, he dived under the beast's arm and swam rapidly to its back before clutching it. The beast didn't realize it had a passenger until he was halfway up. When it DID realize it, however, it was a real battle.

Wander had to be careful, for since he was hanging onto moss instead of fur if he pulled too hard while climbing--or if he let his grip slacken on the soaked vines--then it would fall out and he'd fall into the water, becoming easy prey for Pelagia. Being careful not to trip on the way up, Wander eventually reached the head.

Putting on the Mask of Strength, Wander glanced around. No sigil came up. Cursing, he ripped the mask from his face and pocketed it before stabbing Pelagia's head. The beast whined in discomfort and thrashed, but it didn't roar as Colossi did when struck on their vitals. With the exception of Celosia, who was too small to actually roar. Even so, he should've gotten more of a reaction than that!

Angrily, he banged his sword on one of the stones that made a sort of crown on Pelagia's head...

...and almost fell over as the beast lurched forward.

Stunned, Wander gripped the beast's head and banged on the frontal stone. Again, the Colossus waded forward through the water. Wander stood and noticed it had stopped right in front of one of the platforms. He jumped from its head and landed on the stone structure, only to have a bolt of lightning strike him in the back and knock him forward. Turning, he saw the beast positioning itself differently.

Seeing the horntips change color again, Wander ducked just as the lightning shot past him. Pelagia growled before raising itself from the water and planting its legs onto the top of the structure. Wander walked forward and saw a patch of fur on Pelagia's chest.

He leaped down and stabbed the furry spot. It took only a few hits. Finally Pelagia fell with a roar, splashing back into the water as the tendrils claimed Wander again.


	17. Phalanx, the Skyserpent

**What up?**

**Yes, I'm finally back! (fanfare) I took a break for a while and then a virus corrupted my computer so I had to completely restart it and thus erased all of my files. But oh well.**

**Next up: Phalanx!**

**--**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking_

* * *

**Chapter 14**

The Skyserpent

_The world was black around him. Wander looked to the right and saw a huge demon with blue eyes stalking towards him, and to his left he saw a girl in a white dress holding her hand out to him. He knew both had something to do with him...but what did it mean?!_

With a gasp, he awoke. His head throbbed, and every time he moved it was agony. Slowly, he clenched his teeth against the pain and rose, staggering slightly.

**Thou hath done well as of yet.**

"Yeah, well, I like killing giant monsters made of rock as much as the next guy, but how many are there left?!" he breathed, his legs feeling like they were going to collapse. What was this sensation?!

**Twelve thou hath slain, and four more remain. Art thou ready for thine next foe?**

"I am ready, Lord Dormin." Wander replied, gazing at the light coming from the ceiling.

**Thy next foe is...the vast desert lands where a giant trail drifts through the sky...thou art not alone.**

Wander paused, then whistled and leaped on Agro as he came. In doing this, he had forgotten the pain of moving and so it shot through his body. He grunted, then slowly urged Agro forward.

Every step the horse took was a thousand flames to Wander, but he urged the mount faster. Only four remained--he couldn't stop now.

Wander held his sword up and saw he was going the wrong way. He turned and saw the beam was leading him to a forest. He continued forward for a time and suddenly found himself at the edge of a huge cliff. Agro neighed and tossed his head back, and while the horse's only intent was to get away from the ledge it also knocked Wander clear out of the saddle. His spine solidly connected with the rock and he yelled in agony. His momentum flipped him right over the edge of the cliff, and he frantically scrabbled at the stones until his hand caught hold of a mass of ivy growing from the cliffside.

Breathing heavily, both from relief and from pain, Wander turned and saw below him a shallow sort of lake. A tree was on a raised patch of grass some ways away from him, and beyond that...what? A mass of lilies was on the other side of the 'lake', and beyond that a field. He could see a sort of bridge, most likely leading back to the shrine of worship, and a cave. He looked down and saw he was several feet up; he'd fallen a long way. "Agro!" he yelled. He heard the horse whinny and the sound of hooves against rock. Agro would find his own way down.

Dropping, Wander's knees buckkled as he hit solid rock and he fell to his knees. The water was very shallow: when he stood it only came up to his ankles. He began walking slowly towards the cave and found two options: the rock bridge and a hole in the cave where bright lights were streaming in. As he was figuring this out he heard a horse coming and turned to see Agro coming across the bridge. Not that way, then.

He turned and took a deep breath, then advanced into the hole.

The first thing that Wander noticed was that it was hot, almost unbearably so. The second thing that he noticed was that he couldn't see.

He felt his eyes and discovered they were full of sand. He was in the middle of a desert! Blinking the sand out of his eyes, he mounted Agro and started forward. He was able to see nothing but sand for miles in every direction. Several minutes passed, then an hour, then more. By the seventh hour Wander was exhausted and half-blind. Without any water that he could see, he was sure he wouldn't make it. Looking back, he saw that the hole from which he'd come was as distant as the Shrine of Worship was from the end of the bridge. Groaning, he slumped against Agro's neck. It was burning hot, but he couldn't find the energy to raise up. "I was so close..." he breathed, and then...blackness.

Back at the Shrine of Worship, Dormin was beginning to get anxious.

**Warrior?**

Nothing.

**Answer Us!**

Again, the god heard only silence from Their pawn. Searching around the land, They found Agro wandering the desert but no sign of Wander.

**Where is he?!**

The god was more worried than angry, which was what caused Their outburst. Only four Colossi had remained, and yet the wanderer was nowhere to be found. Dormin thought back to a few moments ago, when Wander's life-force had ceased. Dormin began to search more slowly, and found the man a half-mile away from his horse. He had gotten heatstroke, it seemed, and passed out. The horse had not noticed, and he fell off.

**Hmm...**

For a moment Dormin contemplated this. Then the light in the Shrine of Worship grew brighter, and a sliver of the light flew from the shrine and headed towards the desert.

He heard snorts and moans, and what sounded like shackles being moved around. Then he opened his eyes to find himself lying on the sand. It had scorched his back, and he screamed in agony as he jolted to his feet. How had he recovered? He had felt his life slipping away...but suddenly, something had hit his body. It wasn't exactly solid, but felt like a blow to the head. It had jolted him to his senses, and woke him up.

Shrugging off the strangeness of this, he whistled and saw a black dot approaching him. It changed into Agro's body, and with a grunt Wander mounted him. Then they set off again.

After a while, they saw a sort of shrine. Or rather several ruins situated on top of a stone plate. He approached and felt the ground shift beneath him. It was the exact feeling he'd gotten when he was in Dirge's cave, but this was so much...bigger. The moment Agro stepped on the stones, a muffled bellow startled him, and he reared, knocking Wander off.

_**CROOOOSHHHAHHHH**_

Wander raised his head to see the sand in front of him explode, revealing a giant serpentlike monster with a stone head and four wings. "What is this thing?!" he breathed.

_**RRRNNNNNN...**_

The Colossus moaned and spiraled higher, until it was several hundred feet above him, before lazily flying around. He climbed to his feet and waited, but it seemed that the Colossus didn't know--or didn't care--that he was there. Annoyed, and having a flashback of Avion, Wander nocked an arrow and fired. The arrow hit the beast's underbelly with a _clink_ but led to no other effects. Wander mounted Agro and kicked his sides, following the Colossus. Shooting a rapid succession of arrows, he heard something different then the arrow hitting stone and the monster moaned.

Looking up, he saw that one of his arrows had pierced something on the Colossus and black blood was pouring from the wound. Interested, Wander nocked several more arrows and fired. Two thumps and a moan confirmed his success. So happy was he that he did not notice he was directly under the Colossus.

He also did not notice that it was slowly but surely drifting downwards.

Its wings hit the sands in unison and almost knocked him clean off of Agro. He gasped and turned to get a mouthful of sand. Spitting it out, he urged Agro out of the Colossus's shadow and found ridges on its wings.

**So thou hath found Phalanx's weakspot.**

Nodding slightly, Wander unsheathed the Ancient's Sword and stood up on Agro's back. The horse was riding neck-and-neck with Phalanx. Just a little longer...

Wander yelped as he saw Phalanx begin to pull away, and he made a hasty jump but his foot got caught in Agro's reins, and he only succeeded in hitting the sand. Hearing Dormin's laughter in his head, he rose with a growl and mounted Agro once again before riding towards it.

This time he didn't wait, and jumped straight at Phalanx. The Colossus wailed as it felt him grap onto one of its wings, and he jumped higher up as it began to rise once more. The wing became level, and he stood before running towards its back.

Again he was reminded of Avion, as the Colossus's head was entirely encased in stone. Figuring this must be like the bird-colossus, he ran down the length of Phalanx's spine and found an open flap on its back. Taking out his mask again, he found the glowing weakspot of the Colossus. Eagerly, he stabbed it and twisted the sword. Black blood spurted from the wound, and Wander leaned towards it as he remembered Colossus Blood was cold. But living in the desert had altered the Colossus's DNA, it seemed, for the blood was burning hot and scorched Wander's face. Yelping, he fell back and was almost unseated as Phalanx rolled over in midair. He found himself next to a second flap and sank his blade into the center until the blade was entirely inside the beast.

The front flap began to close, and Wander realized with some panic that the second flap was beginning to do the same.

With the Ancient's Sword inside it.

Wander tried to pull his weapon out but realized that the top of the flaps were solid stone. If he wasn't quick enough then it would crush his arm. He watched helplessly as the flap closed and the two parts seemed to fuse shut. Nothing would open them now. He felt a lightness in his heels and looked down: they were descending. With a groan, Wander gave himself up for lost and hit the sands with a crash, then moved no more.

**Dead? How pitiful.**

Wander's cloak rippled in the lazy wind.

**We would have thought that Phalanx would be the the easiest of all Colossi. Art thou forgetting the maiden?**

Hearing Dormin mention Mono, Wander groaned and opened his eyes. The glare of the sun was intense, but he did not shut his eyes. He rose and whistled for Agro, seeing Phalanx burst from the sand a few feet away. "Let's end this." he growled, mounting his horse and approaching the Colossus. His flight with Phalanx had not robbed him of his bow, thankfully, and he pierced the Colossus's stomach once again and approached as it fell. Since Wander knew what to expect this time, climbing the great thing was much easier and he could do it without injury or...humiliation, as had happened earlier.

Racing down the Colossus's back for the second time that day, Wander grabbed the Ancient's Sword as he ran and leaped over the top of Phalanx's third flap, stabbing the vital as he did so. It took only one blow.

The mighty being fell with a moan, and several sandstorms kicked up as it hit the sand. Its wings fell and collided with the earth, and Wander staggered from the collision before being impaled by the tendrils.

And for the third time that day, he embraced the cool darkness...

* * *

**MAN, that was long! Thanks for the constructive criticism, randomgirl. Was this long enough for ya? :D**


	18. Cenobia, the Lion

**Whaddup.**

**Yes, I'm not leaving THIS time! So then, I remember something I said at the beginning of the fic, and it has been nagging me.**

**So, to make this fic longer, I will have the following:**

**16 colossi from the game**

**5 of my own custom colossi**

**12 colossi created by YOU**

**The last one is optional, but if you create a really good colossus with a description of how to kill it, I'll include it in my story.**

**So then, next we have...um... (looks at his list) Cenobia!**

**I own nothing! ...except for my custom colossi :D**

**--**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking_

**Chapter 15**

The Lion

"He is not the one, surely?"

"He has gotten this far. Why wouldn't he be?"

"But he is no more than a child!"

"A child with the Ancient's Sword, certainly."

"Time will tell..."

The strange voices awoke Wander, and he shook his head before rising. The pains of battling Pelagia and Phalanx were gone, although he felt a distinct burning in his lungs. It was hard for him to breathe. With a gasp he stood, raising his head as the rumbling rose up.

**Thy next foe is...a guardian let loose in a closed off city, beyond the channel...it lusts for destruction...**

Unable to argue, Wander staggered over to Agro and mounted him, kicking off. He was going to take a break after the next Colossus whether Dormin wanted him to or not!

He crossed the stone bridge and found that the sword's light was leading him into the canyon where he'd fought Gaius. Shuddering at the thought of that encounter, he slowly entered with Agro and saw after a while the raised platform where Gaius's remains lay. But it seemed no other Colossus was there, and so he continued on. He discovered a huge plain with lush grass and trees, along with ponds, that he had never seen before. To the left was a sort of 'bridge' connected to the rocky mountainside, leading to a cave. Wander hesitated before dismounting Agro and tying his reins to a nearby pillar. Then he dropped into the plains to get a few fruits.

Several minutes later, when his stomach was full and Agro had eaten some grass, they continued to the cave. Bats flew out to meet them, and Wander yelled in surprise. Agro neighed and pitched forward, flinging Wander off of his back. Wander groaned inwardly and waited for the pain of his back upon the rocky cave floor, but it never came. Instead, something cool and wet slapped against his back, and he opened his eyes to find himself drifting on water.

Raising his head, he saw he was in the middle of an enormous--and deep--pool. Agro was on the other side, whinnying nervously. Wander smiled slightly before flipping over and swimming to the opposite end of the pool. He climbed out and shivered, then continued on. He found a large stone block about the size of his fist, with intricate patterns on it, and he decided to keep it. Pocketing the block, he soon found on that was as big as him. Sidestepping it, he continued for a time until he saw light at the other end of the tunnel. Smiling, he shielded his eyes from the brightness until he was at the cave mouth. Then his jaw dropped open.

This place was amazing!!

All around him were ancient sculptures and designs, each one centuries old. Whoever had designed this city was a genius! Awestruck, Wander stepped forward and found his foot meet empty air. He'd reached the end of a platform. Falling with a _thud_, Wander shook his head and checked if he was alright before continuing on. He found a river in front of him, a stone wall to his right and a fallen pillar to his left. Climbing the pillar, he found a flight of steps leading up to a higher level of the city. He found himself in a sort of plain, with pillars and arches scattered around. In front of him was a large temple with half of the stairs leading to the top broken off. And at the top, standing still as a gargoyle...

...was the Colossus.

Wander gulped and stepped into the plain. Immediatly, the beast's black eyes glowed blue like all the others, and it shook itself before leaping down from its perch. The collision of Colossus against stone shook the ground beneath Wander's feet, and he fell over, swearing, before looking up to see the monster charging him.

Reminded terribly of Celosia, Wander flattened himself. But the Colossus was smarter than Celosia, it seemed, for it simply lowered its head and knocked him down the stairs. He gasped in pain as he hit the broken pillar, but it seemed the creature was unwilling to follow him down. It turned and stalked away, apparently satisfied. Wander raised himself and felt a bone crack. Grunting, he rose to his feet and climbed the stairs to almost immediatly be headbutted once again by the Colossus down the stairs. "This is getting rediculous!" he growled.

**Rediculous for thee, surely. But it is quite amusing for Us.**

Hearing Dormin's mocking laughter sent a burning rage into Wander, and he rose before climbing the steps once more.

Something had changed--Wander's senses seemed twice as sharp, and he dove aside just before the Colossus would have hit him. He vaulted onto a fallen pillar and, seeing that he wasn't out of reach yet, leaped atop a nearby arch. The beast roared in anger and pawed the ground before racing forward and smashing its head directly into the stone structure of the arch. Wander yelped and nearly fell off as vibrations shockwaved through the structure. "This thing is worse than Celosia!" he said shakily, leaping to a stone wall nearby.

**Cenobia and Celosia are much the same. But no flame will scare Cenobia--use its anger to your advantage.**

Wander had no idea how getting a ten-ton monster the size of a small shark ticked off was going to help him, but he didn't argue. Running to the end of the wall, he looked down and saw Cenobia leaning against the wall, staring up at him. It was almost as if the Colossus was daring him to jump. Its eyes had changed from blue to red--something Wander had not noticed before. The eyes were much like Phaedra's had been, old and solemn...but unlike Phaedra, who had simply wanted peace, this thing was ramming down pillars to try and get at him. Clenching his teeth and hoping he was doing the smart thing, Wander jumped.

Cenobia leaped up, growling, but again Wander felt something sharpen his senses and his foot collided with Cenobia's stone face. He kicked off of it and his momentum drew him up to the top of the pillar. Crouching on top, he looked down to see Cenobia shaking off the shock of being stepped on. The Colossus then growled and rammed the pillar. The foundation cracked and Wander felt something shift. "What was that going to do...?" he called, then shouted in surprise as the pillar fell with a crash. Not only was he now in range of Cenobia's wrath now, but he had somehow formed a bridge to the next section. Running across the fallen pillar, he lept to a nearby arch and crouched instinctively as the beast leaped across the gap. Running across the pillar, he reached another wall and looked down.

_**WHAM**_

_**WHAM**_

Shocked, Wander realized Cenobia had rammed into the stone wall twice quicker than he would have thought possible--even for so small a Colossus! He also realized the wall was collapsing. Running frantically, he reached another arch just as the wall crumbled into the small river below. He jumped to a pillar and climbed to the top, seeing Cenobia sniffing the remains of the wall and looking in the stream. It had lost sight of him!

Wander took this as a sign and rested, but found this was a bad move. His panting had caught the Colossus's attention, and it once again knew where he was. Ramming the pillar, Wander again felt the foundation crack but this time it did not fall. Cenobia appeared just as confused as him, because it started circling the pillar as if waiting for it to fall over. "C'mon, if you want me then CHARGE the thing!" Wander screamed at it, shooting an arrow at it. He had no idea where the idea had come from, but it worked--Cenobia did not suffer any harm due to its heavy armor, but the arrow irritated it and it rammed into the pillar.

As it fell, Wander caught sight of a third pillar and leapt to it. He took this small distraction to survey his surroundings: A sort of temple was ahead, and between him and it were three pillars and two arches. He could get to it if Cenobia didn't stop charging his pillars. After several more repeats Wander found him on top of the second arch. He jumped straight to the temple and hung on to the ivy-covered ridges in it. Cenobia rammed the temple and nearly knocked Wander off, but he held on and jumped to a final pillar. He did not see, however, what this would lead to--how would knocking this pillar over help him?

He didn't have much time to decide, as Cenobia was charging. Judging by the way it ran, it knew he had nowhere to go.

**Jump, warrior!**

Startled by Their voice in his head, he leaped frantically and found himself on a raised platform on the temple. Cenobia, unable to pull back in time, crashed with full force into the pillar and knocked it clean over.

Wander turned and saw the pillar collide with a seemingly solid rock wall. But the wall crumbled as the pillar hit it. Wander saw with some surprise that the rock wall had concealed the platform leading to the tunnel he'd come from!! Smiling some at the irony of this, he did not notice Cenobia drawing back.

_**WHAM**_

_**THUD**_

Wander found himself sitting on a large stone block, and saw Cenobia several feet away. Its eyes were glowing red, and it pawed the ground before setting itself to charge. Frantic for anything to stop the beast, Wander felt around in his pockets...and his hand settled on the small stone block he'd taken from the passageway. He held it up and the Colossus stopped for a moment to look at it. Wander threw it behind the temple and Cenobia's head turned to look at it. Wander scrambled from the block and ran towards a stone ladder leading up to the platform. Finding its enemy gone, the monster roared and rammed into the solid rock wall with him on it. It made a small whining noise but rammed it again. Wander walked to the edge of the platform and saw Cenobia drawing back to charge. He closed his eyes and waited for it to come.

_**WHAM**_

_**THUD-THUD**_

_**IYYUUUU!!**_

The rapid flurry of sounds alerted Wander, and he opened his eyes to find half of the platform was gone. He stood and looked over the edge to see the remains of the platform on the ground. It seemed that Cenobia had rammed into the single unstable pillar that was keeping the platform up, and without anything to support it the stone platform had fallen on top of it. Wander thought for a split second that the Colossus was dead, but then sighed as it drew back and shook itself before sniffing the wreckage. Wander's eyes then widened as he saw that the force of the crash had broken Cenobia's back armor off.

Drawing the Ancient's Sword, he leaped onto its hairy back and stabbed the center. Cenobia roared and raced through the hole in the ruined wall, shaking itself wildly before continuing to run. Wander thrust repeatedly, twisting his sword, and eventually both the Colossus and Wander were panting for breath. Cenobia's legs shook terribly, as if it were struggling to keep standing. With a final jab Wander fell unconscious and rolled off of its back. Cenobia whined and fell to the side, the Ancient's Sword falling out of its back as if pushed out by the darkness now seeping over the dead beast's body. The tendrils rose once more and entered Wander's chest.

And, far away, on the opposite side of the Forbidden Lands, a great and ancient entity was beginning to stir.

**I never really did like fighting Cenobia, but can anyone guess what the 'great and ancient entity' is?**


	19. Argus, the Executioner

**And so we now come to Argus.**

**Onward. I own nothing.**

**--**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts_

* * *

**Chapter 16**

The Executioner

"It is almost done."

"Do not jinx us! Two remain, and they are each more powerful than the rest."

"I shall enjoy seeing how he handles them..."

Wander gasped, and it seemed one of the black figures was a bit late in vanishing as he glimpsed a humanoid shadow with blue eyes. He yelped and reached for the Ancient's Sword, only to discover its sheathe was empty and the sword lay next to him. Grabbing it and rising, Wander felt for sure that his limbs were falling off. Hearing a bang behind him, he turned to see Cenobia's idol crumble to dust. Walking to the end of the hall, he observed the two remaining idols. One seemed simple enough, but the last one...it seemed that whenever he looked at it the idol faded from view. Shaking his head at this strange feeling of doom, he walked to the center of the light.

**Art thou ready?**

Dormin seemed like They were in a hurry. "Yes, Lord Dormin." Wander said, forgetting all about his decision to take a break.

**Thy next foe is...a giant has fallen into the valley...acting as a sentry to a destroyed city...**

Wander did not like the thought of facing something that was described as 'giant'--whenever Dormin mentioned that word the thing was bigger than most Colossi! Groaning, Wander mounted Agro and set off.

Emon saw light ahead and urged his men on. He could see, no more than a mile away, the top of the entrance to the Forbidden Lands. "Finally, justice will be served." he muttered.

Wander led Agro out of the Shrine of Worship and found the beams pointing him to the northeast. He turned Agro and rode to the east before finding a bridge leading north. Following it, he saw a huge rock dune with a massive abyss in front of it. Directing his horse around the dune, he saw a huge ruin built into the mountainside. When he reached it and took Agro up a flight of stairs, a fallen pillar blocked the way forward--he would have to do this without Agro. The horse whinnied as he climbed the pillar, and then he was out of sight.

Wander looked around as he walked, the sound echoing all throughout the passage he was in. In front of him lay a huge row of pillars supporting a large broken bridge. Beyond that were two unbroken bridges, three story tall stone structures on either side of the long area he was in, and a huge...did I say huge? No, _**COLOSSAL **_valley in front of him. He stared in awe at it for a moment before advancing to get a better view.

_**CRUNCH**_

"That's not a good sound." Wander winced.

_**CRUNCH**_

_**CRUNCH**_

_**CRUNCH**_

_**CRUNCH**_

_**CRUNCH**_

_**CRUNCHCRUNCHCRUNCH**_

_**ROOOOOOAAAAA**_

Wander yelped and fell back as an enormous beast rose in front of him. The giant's face was hidden behind a large stone mask, but Wander could easily see large blue eyes staring at him. The Colossus heaved itself out of the hole before glaring at Wander. "Dear god..." he whispered. The beast raised a foot, then slammed it down in front of Wander, knocking him back several yards. He yelled in pain and looked at the huge beast that was advancing.

"Lord Dormin! Any advice?"

**Do not let Argus step on thee.**

Wander showed quite a colorful vocabulary at that moment, the words he was using so...imaginative...that even Argus paused to gawk at the wanderer. The shock wore off soon, though, and Argus swatted the large machete that it held to nearly cleave Wander in half. The warrior scrambled to his feet and fled to the broken bridge.

**What art thou doing?! We must have been mad to let thee carry out this task! Fight Argus, instead of fleeing from it!**

"In case you haven't noticed," Wander panted, "I think Argus plans on eating me!"

**Let it. Do Us a favor and get rid of the headache that thou hath been causing! FIGHT!**

Wander leaped onto a stone square and turned to face Argus. He did not realize it had been so close.

_**GRRRNNN**_

_**BOOM**_

Wander felt himself flung high into the air and landed on solid stone. He groaned, then opened his eyes to see Argus's kneecap. He looked down and saw the giant had stepped on the square he was standing on and had flung him to the second level of this forgotten city.

Grinning, he ran up a small flight of stairs and waved at Argus. The Colossus seemed confused as to how the warrior could smile after nearly being crushed. This was short-lived, however, and Argus stomped to try and make Wander fall off the level. The wanderer staggered and ran to the center of the long open hall he was in, then turned to see Argus's cleaver.

_**BOOM**_

_**CA-RACK**_

_**CRUNCH**_

When the dust cleared, Wander saw that some of the stones had fallen loose from the ceiling to make a sort of pile that he could use to climb to the next level. He did so and then paused. Here, there was little room to walk, and Argus was getting impatient. He quickly but carefully made his way over, then climbed another flight of stairs to the third level.

Now he could clearly see a bridge ahead. He looked over to the Colossus and saw he was at eye level with it. The bridge was curved upwards towards the center: He could easily jump onto Argus from there. Running towards the bridge, shooting arrows at the colossus as he did so, he came to the center and whistled. His enthusiasm died abruptly as Argus snorted, then drew back its arm.

**Look out!**

_**CA-RAAAAAAACKK**_

Wander coughed, dust in his lungs, and opened his eyes to find that he was on the very edge of the now broken bridge, and Argus was advancing. He scrambled to his feet and prepared to jump, but tripped over his own feet and fell, with a thud, on something...soft. Opening his eyes, he found himself staring into the Colossus's face.

With a roar. Argus whipped back its head and flailed its cleaver. The motion caused it to stagger backwards, and the sudden jerk caused Wander to lose his grip and slide down the Colossus's back, gripping the rock armor it wore just before he would have slipped off. He then remembered something and looked up. "Lord Dormin, you said something?"

**We believe We said, 'Look out.'**

"Fat lot of good that did me!" Wander yelled, vaulting himself back up to Argus's head.

**Thou art still alive, art thou not?**

Dormin sounded really amused. Wander swore and stabbed his sword into Argus's forehead, causing the giant to roar in protest and shake violently. He stabbed again and Argus reached up, then plucked Wander from its head. Wander yelled and flailed his sword wildly, and he felt it sink into something soft.

The Colossus bellowed so loud that the broken bridge on the other side of the city crumbled to dust along with the pillars that supported it, and it let go of Wander and its cleaver before holding its hand. Wander had stabbed its palm.

With a moan that sounded like thunder, Argus staggered forward, then made an effort to turn and so landed on its back, next to its cleaver.

Wander, knocked out by the collision, didn't notice when the tendrils rose and seized him.

* * *

**Sorry this took so long.**


	20. Into the Unknown

**Well, here we are.**

**Almost at the finale (of part one, at least!).**

**Wander VS Malus is coming soon--all you have to do is keep reading.**

**I own nothing.**

**--**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts_

* * *

**Chapter 17**

The Unknown

Whispers entered his mind, and then left abruptly. A sweet voice was singing in the background, but the harder he tried to listen, the more it seemed to fade, until it disappeared completely. He growled and started towards where the voice had been coming from, and a giant arm swung next to him and knocked him to the ground. He looked up and saw blazing yellow eyes piercing through his body. "Dooooooooooorrrrrr...mnnnnnnnnnnnnn..." the howl sounded wild, like a demon, and yet calm like time. But this chant seemed to echo forever. Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes turned to hours. Hours turned to days. Days turned to weeks. On and on the howl continued, until Wander clapped his hands over his ears, eyes brimming with tears of pain from the volume of the howl, and he shouted with all his power, "STOP!!"

He suddenly felt as though a fog had been lifted, and he woke up to see one, two...no wait, maybe it was five...well over eight shadowy figures with blue eyes stood over him. _Time will tell..._ they seemed to whisper, though no part of them moved to indicate so. One by one they faded, until Wander began to wonder if he had imagined them. Cursing himself, he decided he should have tried to touch one to see if he was hallucinating or not. He slowly staggered to his feet and burning pain shot through him. He gasped and blood flew from his mouth as he dropped onto one knee. The sun on his back felt like it was right behind him, and he yelled with the agony of the fire that only he could feel. With tremendous effort, he crawled over to where the Ancient's Sword lay stuck between two blocks and slowly pushed himself up. As soon as he grabbed the sword's handle, the pain vanished as if it had been called elsewhere. He looked at the sword which had slain fifteen Colossi now, and shuddered to think of the blood he had spilled.

A distant rumble, resonating with the whispers of the figures he had seen, and Dormin's voice filled his thoughts.

**We believe that thou hath banished the pain of the Colossi by holding the Ancient's Sword.**

Wander's heart skipped a beat, as if he had just heard something he shouldn't have. Dormin seemed alarmed that They had let this slip, as the rumbling continued but no words came from the god. "Lord Dormin--" he said with a cringe, "I have slain fifteen Colossi. Fifteen idols now lay in rubble, with only one remaining!" he shouted, pointing the Ancient's Sword at the last idol. The sword shot from his hands to the side and clattered next to Agro, who reared with a whinny of protest. Wander once again felt searing pain shoot through him, and he was sure he had felt an extremely evil presence push the sword from his hands when he looked at the idol. Come to think of it, the last idol was the only one Wander could not look directly at.

Until now, that is.

"Where must I seek the last Colossus, Lord Dormin?" Wander grunted, staggering over to the Ancient's Sword and grabbing it before putting it in its sheathe.

**Aye, thou hath done well. Sixteen there are in all, and fifteen thou hath defeated. But one remains, and his power is the strongest of all other Colossi. But hurry: Someone now stands to get in thine way.**

Wander almost had a heart attack as he realized the god was talking about Emon. "What?! He's here?!" he screamed, forgetting the pain that came when he let go of the sword. His panic turned to outrage. "That cocky bastard! He's probably here to take the sword back!" he growled, slamming a fist against the floor in his anger. "Does he not realize how important this is to me?!" he bellowed to the sky.

**Hurry, young Wanderer, for time is short...**

Dormin's voice faded then. Wander nodded, mounted Agro, and set off. Little did he know that he would have cherished the God's final words and probably listened...if only he knew what lay ahead of him.

Emon's horse whinnied as he came close to falling off the edge of a bridge. He had just made it through the Gate of Wind and came to a giant bridge. One of his men did not stop in time; he and his horse plummeted, and Emon looked away before the very faint _crack_ made contact with his ears, followed by a dull thump. One of his men looked down, and Emon pulled from his pocket a knife before twirling it and hurling it straight down at the corpses. The horse had fallen onto the warrior, but unlike the horse the warrior was still alive. "Lord Emon, help m--" he cried, and then the knife pierced his forehead and his eyes went blank. His head fell to the side and Emon sighed with his hands together in prayer. "May you rest in peace." he murmured, his white horse galloping along the bridge. Far, far in the distance he could see the Shrine of Worship. "What foolishness has that wretch brought upon us?" Emon whispered as he felt an evil aura unlike any other pulsing from the shrine in great waves. "Oh yes, it seems he has indeed acted rashly. Please, keep us safe from the devilry this foolish man has unleashed."

Wander followed the sword's light and found himself in front of a giant gate. He tried to ride Agro closer but the horse refused to go within ten yards of the gate. Wander sighed and dismounted, then patted his companion on the back before walking to a circle directly in front of the gate and sat down. Eyes closed, he tried to think of anything that Dormin had said, hoping to find some sort of clue or message.

He winced as bright light shone into his face, and he shielded himself before realizing that he was in a patch of shade. How could the sun shine so bright here? Unless...he opened his eyes and looked to the Ancient's Sword. It was glowing with the purest light he had ever seen. Standing with the sword in hand, he gazed at the gate with confidence. "It is almost over, Mono..." he whispered. A screech from above alerted him, and he held his sword at the ready only to see Loki descend with five other hawks. "Kreeeeeee!!" Loki screeched, flapping his wings and motioning with his claws. Wander turned and saw a hole in the gate, and he raised his sword to the light before aiming it at the hole in the gate.

* * *

**Yes, I'm sorry but the chapter ends there. The next will be Wander's showdown with Malus. We're getting close to where you all get to make your own Colossi and have them put in the fanfiction! Hope you're enjoying yourselves so far! Oh, and don't hate me for this little cliffhanger, I couldn't resist.**


	21. Malus, the Psychic, Part 1

**And here it is! Wander VS Malus!**

**I'm sorry for keeping you waiting so long, but this will be a battle worth remembering!**

**I own nothing, except for my custom colossi mentioned after the story.**

**(By the way, this story will have 4 parts. We're almost at the end of Part 1.)**

--

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts/Minor Sound Effects_

* * *

**Chapter 18**

The Psychic, Part 1

Wander held his sword up as the gale wind pushed against him. "What in hell--?!" he yelled, one eye closed against the wind. He couldn't advance and was being slowly pushed out of the circle. Agro whinnied nervously and pawed at the ground as Wander was driven back.

**Hmm? Thou carries the Ancient's Sword but cannot break the Gate of Souls? We art disappointed in thee, young Wanderer. Perhaps the Maiden would be best left dead.**

Wander clenched his teeth and slowly made his way through the wind. It seemed only he could feel it, for Loki and the other hawks merely cocked their heads to the side and stared at him. "I will not give up!" he grunted, forcing himself to go forward. "Not when I've come so close!" he raised the sword as high as he could and, with one last effort, swung it down.

The wind stopped as if he had cut through it, and the gate fell apart right before his eyes as he gazed at it, disbelieving.

**Oh ho! That was quite the performance! Now impress Us more, little Wanderer.**

Wander mounted Agro, who now seemed more than happy to step past the gate, and soon found himself in front of an alter. He looked at it for a moment, then saw a lizard with a white tail in front of the praying stone. It took off as soon as it saw him, and he knelt before it. _O Gods, please let Mono awaken safely._ he prayed. He then got on Agro once more and set out. Up a hill and over a ramp, he finally came to a giant structure on the opposite side of a bridge he faced. He looked down and gulped: this was higher than where he was from the bridge that led to the Forbidden Lands. Below were sharp rocks and a river. He shook off the feeling of doom and hurled a large rock he'd found at the bridge. It did not collapse, so maybe it was sturdy after all?

Agro leaped onto the bridge which immediately began to crumble. Wander shouted in surprise and was almost thrown off as Agro set into a gallop. One of the tiles ahead fell, and Agro leaped across the gap to land on the lasr square. However, under the horse's weight it began to collapse, and Agro bucked Wander off with a neigh before vanishing from sight. "NOOOOOOOO!!" Wander screamed, running to the edge and seeing his horse plummeting below. "AGROOOO!! AGROOOOO!!" he shouted, tears running down his face. He lifted his head and howled to the sky.

"_DAMMMITTTT!! AAAAGGROOOOOOOO!!"_

He sobbed for hours...or perhaps it was only for a few minutes. In the end, Loki approached with a screech and landed in front of him. He looked at the bird which emitted a sad cawing sound, and stroked its head before embracing it. "At least you're still here." he whispered. Loki allowed itself to be hugged by Wander for as long as he held it, much to his surprise. When he let go Loki immediately spread its wings with a screech and took off, landing on a perch about five meters up. Wander looked around and spotted some ivy, and he hastily climbed, wanting to get to the bird. However, as soon as Wander was reaching to stroke the feathers on Loki's head the bird took off again.

They played this little game for several minutes, until Wander was halfway up the structure and panting for breath. Loki positioned itself next to Wander and once again allowed itself to fall victim to his death-bringing hug of self pity. Then it spread its wings and Wander looked up to see the other hawks above, circling around. Slowly, day turned to dusk as a thunder storm approached. Wander felt an evil breath on the wind, and it seemed to say, _I've been waiting for you. Come, young Wanderer. Come to your death._

Loki lead him down a granite hall, up several flights of stairs, and he suddenly came to a platform with two pillars on either side. Both pillars had handholds for him to climb up, and Loki was at the top of the right pillar, golden eyes staring him down. It seemed to be challenging him to try and catch it. He growled and lifted himself up, then stepped onto solid ground and pointed at the bird. "Hah! I did it!" he said. Loki suddenly lost interest in him and screeched continuously at something to Wander's left. Wander turned and his heart stopped beating as he saw a 650 meter tall giant looming in the distance.

Its silhouette was illuminated as lightning flashed in the distance, and revealed a large garment made of stone. The creature was a living fortress! Wander's eyes filled with tears once more, and it slowly started to rain. Wander remembered at the beginning of his journey, it had also rained as he carried Mono. "Are you Dormin's true body?" he called, barely hearing himself over the rain and thunder. The Colossus slowly turned itself to look at him, blue eyes seeming to pierce his body. It then flexed its arms, and Wander saw electric bands on it. One at its right wrist and one near its left shoulder.

_I am Malus._

Wander fell back in surprise as an unknown voice resonated through his mind. It was not harsh and savage as he had expected a Colossus's voice to be, but rather calm and collected. It was a voice that made you think nothing done to the owner would ever make it change. "D-did you just talk to me?!" he spat, getting to his feet again as Loki took off.

_You, Wander, have slain fifteen of my brethren. That cannot be overlooked._

"They tried to kill me!" Wander shouted.

_As I seem to remember, all of my brethren would have waited for signs of aggression before attacking. Such as that sharp stick you carry._

"Sharp stick?! Eh?!" Wander gaped, then noticed he was holding the Ancient's Sword. "You mean my sword?"

_So that is what it is called. Regardless, you have killed my kin. Valus, Quadratus, Gaius, Phaedra..._

"Stop it!" Wander shouted, clapping his hands to his ears and dropping the sword in the process. "I don't want to hear you speak any more!"

_...Avion, Darbus, Hydrus, Kuromori..._

"STOP IT!!" Wander screamed, falling to his knees. The Colossus's voice, ever calm without a hint of anger despite what it was saying, frayed his nerves and made his hair stand on end.

_...Basaran, Dirge, Celosia, Pelagia..._

"I'll kill you!!" Wander said, grabbing the Ancient's Sword and dashing forward.

**Wait, Wanderer!**

Wander ignored the voice in his head, charging with a cry with his sword raised. Malus raised its hand and it sparked. Seconds later Wander was thrown back against one of the pillars as Malus went on.

_...Phalanx, Cenobia, Argus...and now me. You would make my species extinct._

"Species?!" Wander hissed with a groan. "You were all completely different!"

_You humans look nothing alike, either. Does that mean each of you is a different species?_

Wander had nothing to say to that. This Colossus seemed to know everything about humans, despite being trapped in this giant cage. Wander then noticed for the first time that he was on a huge plain with several bunkers, likely a battlefield. "Oi, Malus! Why don't you come after me?"

_This garment restricts my movement. The most I can do is turn._

"Then this should be easy!" Wander said, getting up with a grin. Then he remembered the flash that emanated from Malus's left arm. _He shoots lightning!_ Wander thought with a gasp.

_What is wrong, young wanderer? Were you not about to slay me?_

The words were mocking, but again the Colossus seemed as neutral as it could be. Wander somehow doubted that it even cared its siblings were dead. It would probably use that as an excuse to kill Wander. _It seems to only be able to shoot up to 300 yards, so I'm safe where I am._ Wander guessed. It seemed he was correct, as Malus had not yet shot him while he was at that spot. Wander surveyed the battlefield and his eyes fell on a hole in the ground, five feet ahead of him. He dashed for it and Malus raised its arm.

_You will die for what you did to my family!_

Wander rolled and fell into the hole as a split second later, Malus's lightning bolt hit the edge of the hole and erupted, showering Wander with dirt and small rocks. He looked around to find himself in some sort of tunnel. "All right, Malus." he whispered, sword at the ready as he advanced down the tunnel. "Let's even the score."

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**End of Chapter. Read and review, please!**


	22. Malus, the Psychic, Part 2

**No one's reviewed the last two chapters. I'm heartbroken, have you lost interest?**

**Read and review. (sniffle)**

**--**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts_

**Chapter 19**

The Psychic, Part 2

Wander ducked behind a bunker as Malus shot another lightning bolt at him. _He's fast, despite being so large!_ Wander though as he ran across the field and dove into another ravine.

_You cannot hide, Wanderer._

Wander shivered as Malus's eerily calm voice penetrated his mind. "We'll see about that." he muttered. He ran down a tunnel and stopped in alarm as he found himself directly under the Colossus. He stared for a moment, then started to climb the beast's body armor.

_Where did you go?_

"As if I'd tell you." Wander muttered. He got up to the top of the piece and leaped to another piece, then looked up. Malus was looking from side to side, trying to locate the young Wanderer. He slowly started climbing the body armor, stifling a yell when Malus's body shifted as he turned to locate the young man.

_Get out here, boy!_

"Never." Wander replied. He climbed another piece and looked up to see that Malus's hand was sparking. He started to look back down when Malus's head moved and he saw the Wanderer.

_There you are!_

A burst of electricity exploded through Wander and made his hair stand on end as he was flung from the Colossus's body, barely managing to grab the cliffside before he fell over the edge. "Grrr!" Wander growled, his eyes glowing red. He suddenly felt as if his senses were ten times as strong, and he remembered his battle with Cenobia when he had been on the same playing field as the Colossus all of a sudden. Wander raced forward with inhuman speed and jumped twelve feet into the air, grabbing Malus's body armor and flipping himself up. There were ruts in the armor which he could climb up, but instead he chose to jump from one piece to another. _This is amazing!!_ he thought with a grin. If he had a mirror he would've seen that his teeth were fangs and there was black blood dripping from his injuries instead of red blood, and that the black blood was very thick and sticky-looking.

He vaulted up onto the last piece of armor and stabbed his sword into Malus's back. "Oi, ugly!" he yelled. Malus roared and brought his left hand back to feel the wound.

_Little brat!_

Wander jumped to the hand and grabbed on, slicing through the soft skin with his sword. Malus roared again and whipped the hand back in front of him. He turned his hand to get a better view at the small creature holding onto his fur. Wander took this oppertunity to race along Malus's arm and thrust the Ancient's Sword into the Colossus's shoulder. Malus roared, the sound echoing for miles around.

Emon looked up as he heard the great demon scream in pain, then shook the chilled feeling he had away and started down the huge spiral staircase. His men armed themselves with swords and crossbows and followed him, leaving their horses at the top of the platform. Emon reached the bottom and examined the pool. He placed a leather glove on his hand and dipped his hand into the water, then brought it out as if he had been burned. "As I thought," he whispered. "the fool has opened a portal to the Other World. I must act quickly." and with that he turned his back onto the pool and proceeded into the main chamber.

Malus put his hand over the wound and Wander jumped there as well. Malus made a moaning sound and brought his hand to his face. Wander shot the beast's shoulder and once again Malus bellowed his outrage. He brought his hand to his shoulder and Wander climbed off, making his way to the giant's head. "And now we end this." he whispered. He stabbed the Ancient's Sword into Malus's skull and the Colossus gave an ear-splitting wail. There was a terrible crunching, then Malus broke free from his bonds of the earth. He staggered forward, having not taken even three steps since he was created, then whipped his head back, trying to shake the Wanderer off. His hands twisted and lightning shot up at Wander, whirling all around him. Thunder rumbled in the distance as the rain poured down, making the Colossus's exposed head slippery under his feet. Malus reached up and tried to grab the Wanderer, but when he did Wander tried to slice his hand away with his sword. He started to fall, off-balance, but Loki screeched and flew in, grabbing Wander by the shoulders and lifting him back up. "Thank you, Loki." he said, and he truly meant it.

Loki screeched his understanding and flew around the Colossus's head, trying to distract it.

_Stop, little Wanderer! You do not know what you are doi--_

Beofre the giant could finish Wander dealt the final blow, stabbing his sword deep inside the Colossus's head. Malus stopped dead, then his eyes rolled into his head and he collapsed. Because of his huge amount of armor he fell down instead of to the side, and the shock caused Wander to fall miles to the ground. He hit the ground with a scream and his vision started to blur. But then he remembered something, and looked at Malus with a new look in his eye. Malus noticed and as his breathing grew ragged, he used his remaining energy to look at the Wanderer.

_What is it?_

"You said that I didn't know...what I was doing..." Wander murmured. "What did you...mean by that...?"

_Heh heh heh heh..._

Malus looked skyward and closed his eyes. Wander first feared that he had died, and that he would never get his answer. But then as he began to let himself black out he heard the Colossus speak--truly, and for the first time.

"In the beginning, there was only Dormin..."


	23. Malus's Story Part 1

**Before we begin this chapter, I'd like you to know that my comment on the previous chapter was typed before the reviews were put up, and so I forgot to take it off before posting it and--well, I'm too lazy to change it now.**

**Also, my offer still stands with the custom Colossi that you can make. Simply private message me the location of your picture or send it directly to **

**Now then, let's get on with the show! I own nothing except for Malus's past and the Custom Colossi! (your Colossi are yours, not mine, so they are the exception)**

**--**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts_

* * *

**Chapter 20**

Malus's Story Part 1

**Is that so?**

Dormin stared at the humans before him, his blue eyes drilling into their minds. His body (before he became a shadow of his former self) scraped against the ground as he crouched down to stare at them. Back then, instead of being a large shadow, Dormin was a great Colossus of unlimited power. With four rock tentacles protruding from his back and his fists and lower arms made of stone, as well as his smooth rock legs and his razor-sharp horns, Dormin was an impossibly powerful foe.

"Yes." the human leader said, kneeling. The leader was a young man, age 17, by the name of Mone. "We wish to use your power to make sixteen Colossi to protect your land." Mone looked up at Dormin hopefully. The Colossus-God stared down at him for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed.

**Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haaa!! Doth thou intend to insult Us? We need no protection. Now begone!**

"Lord Dormin, please listen to reason!" Mone shouted over the God's laughter. "The humans of the north lands are plotting to kill you! We would like to help!"

**Let them try.**

Dormin turned away and started to stalk towards the alter at the end of the hall. Mone growled, then unsheathed his sword and leaped forward. He grabbed the back of Dormin's heel and the giant bellowed in rage, swinging his foot from side to side.

**Release Us, pest!**

Mone climbed higher up Dormin's leg and leaped to his knee, then stabbed his sword into the rock. He heard a scraping sound and part of the sword broke off. Dormin turned and grabbed the man, holding him to his face. Then he chuckled.

**Thou art foolhardy and reckless, but to Our liking. Thou may have thine power on one condition.**

"What (pant) might that (pant) be?" Mone asked breathlessly. Dormin's blue eyes shone brighter and suddenly sixteen statues, each about seven inches tall, fell from the hole in the ceiling. All fell with a clang in a circle around Dormin.

**Thou must take these sixteen statues and place them in all areas around Our land. Every time a statue is set in the correct place, We will transfer Our power to the statue and make it grow into a Colossus. The condition is half of thine men stay with Us, and if thou tries to decieve Us We shall kill them.**

"Fine..." Mone replied, his head spinning. Dormin promptly dropped him and he fell hard on the ground. Dormin turned away and before Mone's eyes the giant spread huge batlike wings, then with a large jump that blew the young man back Dormin sailed up through the hole in the ceiling and out of sight. He picked up the statues one by one and looked at them. They weren't anything special, just idols in the shapes of creatures. He walked to his men and ordered them to put the statues in their sacks. He turned and was about to head out when he remembered his sword was broken.

Suddenly a longsword dropped from the hole in the ceiling and landed with a clang in front of him. Mone tossed his broken sword aside and picked up the one that had fallen, then looked up.

**That is the Ancient's Sword, forged by the Gods themselves. It shalt help you get the job done right.**

Mone looked blankly at the Ancient's Sword, then nodded and tucked it into his sheathe. The sword changed size to fit into the holster, and was light as a feather. Then with a nod and a look of determination in his eye, he set out.

Mone walked with his men through the lands, only six with him now that Dormin had claimed the others. He saw a rocky ledge ahead and proceeded, remembering that Dormin claimed the first statue must be placed in a closed-off place of great height. He reached the small plateau beneath the cliffside, then looked up and saw something above. He turned to his men and said "Wait here." before grabbing onto a mass of ivy and heaving himself up.

He grabbed the edge and pulled himself over, then rose to his feet and ran along the ledge. He jumped over a gap and raced past a bridge before coming to a stop at a pillar. Examining it, he found no way to climb. And he had to get over to reach the plateau. Taking out the Ancient's Sword, he readied himself and slashed the stone pillar. The sword cut through the pillar as if it were paper, creating a ledge for him to crawl around. Mone leaped up and grabbed onto the ledge with his hands, then slowly shimmied around the pillar and found his back to the edge of the plateau. He positioned himself, then leaped and barely managed to grab it. Pulling himself up, he whistled as he found himself in quite a large expanse of rock. "This certainly seems the ideal place for a Colossus to be placed." he murmured. In the distance was a temple of some sort, an ancient momument far older than the Shrine of Worship.

Mone took out the first statue and frowned as he saw black marks on it. He tried to rub them off with his cloak, but they wouldn't come out. Hoping the marks wouldn't affect the statue's link to Dormin's power, he walked forward. Suddenly he heard the beat of hooves on the rock, and turned to see a large bull-sized object coming towards him.

_**WHAM**_

Mone was knocked ten feet back and the idol flew out of his hands, falling with a _**clunk**_ several yards away. He sat up and swore, clutching the gash in his side, then got his first real look at his opponent.

It _was_ shaped like a bull, but this creature's body was made up of stone circles and squares. It was like a living polygon. Red eyes glared out from underneath the helmet it wore, and it snorted before kicking a hoof against the ground. "Oh, fu--" Mone started, then the thing charged and he was sent flying again. He landed hard and gasped as pain shot through his left arm. He felt it and couldn't find anything wrong with it, but as he looked away something made him do a double-take. The same black markings that were on the miniature idol were now on his arm where the bull-creature had hit him.

"Damn it..." Mone growled. He rose to his feet and unsheathed the Ancient's Sword, then charged. The polygon monster snorted and barreled forward. Mone leaped to the side and swung the sword downward, creating a large gash in the creature's side. "Yes!" Mone cried, landing on his feet and running at it again. The polygon turned and snorted, then flung its head around and rammed it into Mone's chest. The young man coughed up blood and fell to his knees, and the bull polygon rammed its head into him again, this time into his chin. He was flung back and landed hard on his back.

_Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT! _he thought as he got up. The monster snorted and charged at him again. His blood suddenly raced through his veins, and he leaped up and landed on the thing's back. The polygon bull snorted and bucked, trying to shake its unwelcome passenger off. "They say that if you mess with the bull..." Mone said with a growl, unsheathing his sword. "...you get the horns. Here's my version. If you mess with me..." the air was suddenly sprayed with black blood as Mone slit the polygon's throat. "...you get my sword!"

Leaping from the body as the polygon collapsed, Mone sighed and sheathed the Ancient's Sword, then brushed dust and blood from his cloak before walking forward to pick up the idol. "Let's see now..." he murmured, then walked to the center of the plateau, ignoring the dead polygon creature, and placed the statue on the ground. Immediately the idol changed from stone to a living creature, and that creature grew until it was fifty feet tall. Mone stepped back, staring in awe at the beast that looked at its surroundings. Then it looked down and spotted him. It crouched until it came to eye level with him, and he stepped forward. "I think it was the spirit of your valor and courage that allowed me to win." he said quietly. The newborn Colossus snorted and shook its head. "And so I shall name you..."

"...Valus."

* * *

**And so the creation of the sixteen Colossi began. Does anyone notice something unusual in this chapter, besides the polygon bull? If you figure it out, I'll let you pick how the next Colossus's creation happens. The next Colossus is Phaedra (I'm skipping Quadratus and Gaius) so keep that in mind. Simply tell me via private message how you would like that to happen. And thanks for all the reviews, everybody!**


	24. Malus's Story Part 2

**Alright! On with the show! Last time, our hero Mone battled with a polygon bull monster to create Valus. By the way, if you're wondering, this part is still a piece of Part 1. The parts and what they contain is below:**

**Part 1 = Wander's Quest, Creation of the Colossi**

**Part 2 = Kry's Quest**

**Part 3 = ???'s Quest, Appearance of your Custom Colossi**

**Part 4 = The Great War**

**The winner of our contest is nobody. For those of you who are wondering, Mone is an anagram of Emon, Mone being Emon's great-great-grandfather. Also, Roxas had a question about the polygon bull. By that I mean that its body was made up of 3D shapes, like it's head was a rombus and its neck was made of cones.**

**Another comment by Roxas, he asked why Malus is not in these chapters if his name is in them. The simplest answer for that is he's the one telling the story, and so won't appear until the last part of his story.**

**One last question, Roxas asked if Dormin is basically a shadow with fingers in the game, why is he made of stone in this fic? This is before Dormin was imprisoned, so he still has his Colossus body. Hope I answered your questions!**

**And so, without further ado, let's begin. I own nothing!**

**------------------------------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts_

* * *

**Chapter 21**

Malus's Story Part 2

Mone walked down the rock path and held up the small statue with his men. "This is such a creepy place." one of his soldiers remarked, looking at the rock walls and the mist with a shiver. "Get over yourself, we have to find the platform." Mone growled at him before climbing up one of the rock walls and breathing a sigh of relief. "There it is." he whispered.

Before them lay a giant valley, just beyond an abyss. Mone kicked a stone into the huge pit, but could not hear it hit the ground. He continued on and his men followed, two of them on horses. They walked along the edge of the pit for several minutes before coming to a bridge. "This way!" he declared, and strode across to the valley. His men followed uneasily, until only one last man on a horse was left. "Come on, you fool!" Mone said impatiently. "That bridge looks unsturdy." the man complained. "We got five men and a horse across, I'm pretty sure one more will be no problem!" Mone shot back. The man slowly made his away across the bridge, and suddenly one of the boards cracked. "Don't panic, just keep coming!" Mone said. The man continued, sweat pouring down his face, and suddenly, in the distance, Mone heard the stone hit the ground.

At that moment, the ropes came loose from their supports and the bridge plummeted. The man screamed as he fell until they could no longer hear him. "Poor man..." one of his soldiers said quietly. "Silence, we have to keep moving." Mone replied. They continued towards the middle of the valley and found four large bunkers in the center. "Whad'ya suppose these were for?" another man asked. Suddenly a roar sounded from within the bunkers, and out of one of the holes crawled a creature like no other.

It had the basic shape of a human, but its torso was impossibly thin and its arms were long enough to touch the ground if it bent its knees a little. Its legs started thin but got wider as they got to the feet, which were enormous. They didn't even look like feet, they were just large circles at the end of its leg, no other shape whatsoever.

It was nine feet tall and wore what looked like a large tiki mask, with dozens of feathers lining the sides. Its skin was blue with red cracks through it, and it held two long staffs, one in each hand. "What is it?" one of his soldiers asked. The thing looked at them, then crouched down and pointed one of its staffs at Mone. "Whatever it is, it's not friendly!" he shouted as they all hit the floor.

A blast of energy fired from its staff and streaked through the air to hit the wall behind where Mone's head just was. "Phae! Phae!" It cried in an odd, roaring voice. "Damn creature tried to shoot me!" Mone growled, getting to his feet and drawing his sword. Suddenly one of the men stepped in front of him and drew his sword. "Please, sir, let me handle this." the man whispered. Mone hesitated, then nodded as the man stepped forward. The creature growled and flipped its staffs around. Spikes emerged from the ends of the staffs in a flash of red light and it charged. The soldier hit the ground and slashed at its leg as if went by: the thing groaned and staggered before turning with a roar and throwing one of its staffs at the man.

He yelled in surprise and got up, and the staff's spike penetrated the ground where he just was. The thing called out again in its strange language and the staff wobbled, then flew back into its hand. "It's like magic! Dark magic!" the soldier cried. The creature slashed one of its staffs at him, and curved blades emerged from the side. The man lifted his arm in protection and the blades sliced the skin on his arm to ribbons. "AAUUGGHHH, DAMMIT!" he screamed, falling to his knees. He saw the creature's feet in front of him, and looked up just as it stabbed its staffs towards him.

Mone looked away as the man's head was impaled by the staffs, and his scream was silenced in an instant. The creature lifted the corpse into the air, then flung it aside and turned to the others. "Phae! Phae!" it cried. Mone charged with the Ancient's Sword in hand, and his soldiers unsheathed their weapons before following him. He slashed his sword down at it and it parried with one of its staffs. It crouched and swung the other staff in an arc along the ground, blades appearing on the sides. Mone jumped up to avoid the staff and kicked the thing in the face, knocking it backwards and causing it to drop the staff. One of his men dashed forward and picked it up as two more advanced on the thing.

"What is this thing?!" Mone panted as one of his men swung at the thing. It dodged to the side and rammed a fist into his neck, knocking him to the side. "Skar!" the other man cried out as Skar hit the ground hard, clutching his neck. "Don't take your eyes off of it, Daine!" Mone called, and Daine turned back to his opponent as it charged at him. He rolled to the side and stabbed his sword at it, but it swung its staff in a downwards half-circle, blocking the sword strike and knocking Daine backwards. The man holding the staff, Yaz, backed away as the last man--named Pyro--drew his sword before standing in front of Mone. "I'll protect you, Sir." he said confidently.

The creature roared while shaking its head and dashed towards Daine, who had just gotten up from the ground. He ducked and kicked its leg, knocking it to the ground. "Yeah! Who's the man now?!" he snickered. The thing growled and swung its staff at him. It hit his ribcage and broke two of his ribs, and he fell to the ground in pain. "Daine--!" Mone cried, but Pyro held his sword in front of Mone. "It is too dangerous." he said. "Daine knows what has to be done."

Skar got to his feet and charged at the thing with his sword held high, yelling a warcry. The creature turned and without even taking proper aim slammed its staff into the side of Skar's head, knocking him into a sideways spin to the left. He landed with a crash and blood scattered across the field. "D-dammit..." Skar whispered before falling unconscious with a sigh. The thing snorted and turned to find Daine charging at it.

Before it had time to react, he punched it in the face and it was knocked backwards, hitting the ground with a tremor that nearly knocked Daine to the ground. "What the hell is this?!" he growled, then clutched his side. When he punched the thing, one of the spikes on its staff had cut through his torso. It got up and turned to Yaz before raising its arm. A red aura flowed from its hand to the staff, which impaled Yaz's arm before flying back to the creature. Yaz clutched the wound and dropped to his knees as the creature charged at him.

"NO!" Mone shouted, pushing past Pyro and racing towards Yaz. He rammed his shoulder into the creature's chest just before it would have killed Yaz and it was knocked into the air. He unsheathed the Ancient's Sword and slashed its chest as it fell. The creature moaned, then dropped its staffs, which disentigrated. "Phae...dra..." it murmured before sinking into the ground. Mone panted, then sheathed his sword. "Daine, Pyro, go help Yaz and Skar." he ordered. They nodded and ran to follow his orders, and he took out the statue before walking to the center of the bunkers. He set it on the ground and it shook, then glowed blue. He stepped back as it grew into a giant horse-shaped rock creature.

The Colossus looked around, and Mone whistled to make it look down. "You were a hard Colossus to make, you know that?" he asked. It made a whining sound and lay down in front of him as if it were apologizing. "You didn't do anything!" Mone said with a laugh. "I shall call you Phaedra, after the dialect of that strange creature we encountered." Phaedra stood and shook itself, then roared at the sky in content.

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**This was a fun chapter to write, and I hope it was also fun to read. Read and review please! And I don't mind if you review every chapter, Mjulinir.**


	25. Malus's Story Part 3

**Alrighty! Last time on 'Dormin's Curse', Mone and his men did battle with a strange magic-wielding beast and it killed one of his men as well as injuring three others. He awakened Phaedra and continued on his way. In this chapter, Mone will give rise to Kuromori.**

**I own nothing, except for the creatures that protect the Colossus areas, Mone, the Colossus's history, Dormin's Colossus design and Mone's soldiers.**

**P.S. Sorry for the long wait! I became obsessed with beating the sh-- out of LittleBigPlanet's last boss. I'll try harder now that I've kicked his ass.**

**------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts_

* * *

**Chapter 22**

Malus's Story Part 3

"Damn this heat!" Skar growled as they trudged through the Forbidden Lands. "Well, as long as we're far away from any creatures, I'm fine." Pyro replied. Mone rolled his eyes and unsheathed the Ancient's Sword for the fifth time that hour. Again, it showed a completely different direction from the time before it. "Damn, where is this thing?!" he spat. "We should get out of the heat, Sir." Daine said.

Mone sighed and agreed, and they moved towards the mountain range that held Valus's plateau. Once in the shade, Mone was able to think much clearer. They walked for a time through the gap between the two mountains until finding themselves in front of a giant stone wall. Pyro and Skar circled the structure before appearing on the other side. "The formation is completely circular, its percision is almost scary." Pyro reported. "There's an opening over there." Skar added, pointing to a small hole in the rocks. They moved forward and Mone examined it, then turned to his men.

"Skar, Yaz, you two stay here and guard the entrance. Daine and Pyro, you're with me." he said. Daine and Pyro nodded, then unsheathed their swords and advanced with Mone. They walked for some time and then came upon a bridge. A waterfall positioned fifty feet away from the bridge roared in their ears as they crossed. Daine slipped and part of the bridge broke off, crumbling to the bottom of the waterfall. "Quiet!" Mone hissed. Daine nodded and carefully proceeded.

Down at the base of the waterfall, a large stone dragon shook its body and was struck on the head by the chunk of bridge. It shook its head and growled before looking up. Its yellow eyes amplified its vision so it could see the three soldiers. It roared and spread its massive wings before leaping into the air. It soared straight up, then let loose a jet of flame. Mone dodged to the right and looked back to see the dragon land on the bridge. "This thing is huge!" Pyro growled. The dragon roared at them and slammed a claw on the ground. The earth shook and the bridge cracked. "Get off of the bridge, NOW!" Mone screamed, racing towards the opposite end. The dragon screeched and entered a quickened stride, occasionally trying to slash at one of the warriors.

Mone turned when they were all across and flung a bag filled with explosive powder at the bridge. Upon contact it erupted and blew a large chunk of the bridge into dust. The dragon roared and backed up slightly, the bridge beginning to lean downward. With a final bellow it leaped from the bridge and landed on safe ground. Now they could see it clearer.

Its stone body was pure white, its claws numbering ten on each foot, its tail long and whiplike with spikes on the end and its mouth filled with blood. It had no ears but two huge spikes on its head took their place. It had four wings, the biggest in the front, all of which were extremely large and batlike. Its neck was lengthy and covered in sharp plates, and its chest was covered in diamonds, rubies and sapphires.

The stone dragon raised a claw, then slammed it down onto the ground and bellowed at them. "Run!" Mone ordered. They raced through the mountain pass and the dragon followed, tearing through the underbrush. Mone saw up ahead a small temple and urged Pyro and Daine inside. The dragon roared and took a tree into its jaws, then snapped its neck forward and flung the tree at the temple. The trunk hit Mone in the chest and knocked him backwards down the flight of the stairs next to the entrance, and the tree collided with the door, blocking the entrance.

Mone raised a hand to his forehead and felt blood. "Damn...well, at least that dragon can't get us now." he whispered. Shakily, he got up and turned before walking through the hall. He caught up with Pyro and Daine, who nodded in understanding at his wound. "Let me get that for you, sir." Daine said, taking a long strip of cloth from his pocket and wrapping it around Mone's head. "Thanks, now let's get going." Mone replied. They strode forward through the halls and finally reached what appeared to be a large colesium-like structure. "This is amazing!" Pyro exclaimed, looking down at the bottom. Mone laughed, then looked up and saw no ceiling. His face turned pale. "We're in trouble." he whispered.

With a screech the dragon flew overhead before dropping into the pit. It slammed a claw on the ground and bellowed, shaking its stony scales. Some of them fell off and became five-foot-tall drakes. The drakes stood on two feet, but their legs were the same kind as the dragon's back legs. They had frail-looking bodies and long arrowhead tails. Their wings looked crumpled, and their eyes were dark. The drakes also had long reptilian arms that ended in nasty-looking claws, and their heads had beaks instead of jaws.

The drakes, seven in total, screeched and raced into the four holes surrounding the pit. Mone and his men unsheathed their swords and stood back-to-back. "Don't let them sneak up on you." Mone whispered. "I was about to say the same thing, sir." Pyro replied with a chuckle. A drake sprang from the nearby staircase with a screech and leaped at them, swinging its claws. Mone blocked the strike with his sword and kicked it in the gut, knocking it back. He yelled in pain and clutched his foot. "Damn, those little creatures are made of stone too!" he gasped. Pyro moved in front of him and parried the next strike from the drake. Its shriek had alerted the others, and they were rushing to assist it.

Pyro tripped the creature and kicked it. It rolled over the edge and screeched as it fell, then shattered upon impact with the ground. It landed right in front of the stone dragon, which roared and spread its wings before slashing the wall with one of its claws. The claw stuck fast to the stone, and the dragon hoisted itself up before climbing the wall. Meanwhile, Daine pinned a drake to the ground but it kicked him off of it and lunged with a screech. Daine dodged to the side and the drake flew over the edge with a scream, hitting the stone dragon's head and cracking it slightly. The dragon made a confused moan, then dropped back to the ground and impacted with a quake that made the whole colesium shudder. "Two down!" Daine shouted before engaging a third.

Mone, having recovered from the blow, sliced through a drake with the Ancient's Sword. "My blade can cut them!" he said. "Only three more!" Pyro shouted, having thrown one of the drakes into a wall.

The dragon roared again and resumed climbing the wall. Mone pushed a drake down the stairs and leaped down after it. He stabbed it before smashing it into a wall, and he laughed before turning. What he was froze him in his tracks. In the large hole in the wall, the dragon looked in at him, its stone mouth set in a snarl. With a roar it swung to the side and its tail lashed into the hole. Mone dived to the side and the spiked appendage struck the wall behind him, breaking a large chunk of it. The stone beast tugged on its tail, but the object was stuck in the wall. Mone drew his sword and swung it down, severing the beast's tail.

The dragon, having pulled with all of its strength, flew to the opposite wall from the sudden release and crashed into it, causing another large hole to form in front of the entrance before it tumbled to the ground below. Mone looked at the tail, but it was gone. He looked below the cracked area of the wall where it had been and saw a mass of white dust right below where the tail had been.

With only two drakes remaining, Daine and Pyro charged. Pyro lunged and grabbed it by the tail, then swung it around before smashing it into a pillar. The drake's head fell of and its body crumbled into dust. "Only one left!" Daine shouted. However, the last remaining drake rammed headfirst into his chest and knocked him over the edge. "DAINE!" Mone cried. Daine hit the ground and yelled in pain, clutching his arm as his sword clattered to a standstill one level above him. He heard growling and turned to see the dragon right behind him. It roared, then a new tail burst into view to replace its old one. It swung its tail from side to side, then lashed it at Daine. The soldier rolled to the side and the tail pierced the ground where he just was. Snarling, the stone dragon ripped its tail from the ground and advanced on him.

Mone raced down the stairways until he came upon Daine's sword. He picked it up and jumped the rest of the way down. He heard a screech and looked up to see the last drake flung from the collisseum. Pyro had done his part. Now it was time for Mone to do his.

He advanced on the dragon, both swords in hand. Pyro dashed in and grabbed Daine before racing back to safety. Mone charged and the dragon hissed, then drew back a claw and slashed it forward. Mone rolled to the side and stabbed the claw. The dragon screeched and flung its arm to the side. Mone was thrown into a wall and his back cracked from the impact. The dragon breathed fire and Mone turned before ducking. The fire scorched the stone walls, and Mone charged before stabbing into its neck. The dragon hissed and grabbed him, then threw him to the side.

"I'm not getting anywhere with this!" Mone yelled in frustration. He ducked as the stone dragon tried to slash him again and swung his arm up. The Ancient's Sword sliced through the dragon's claw and it roared as the claw turned to dust.

The dragon slammed a claw down on Mone and he yelled in pain as his left arm was crushed by the weight of the stone creature. "What is with these things?!" he growled. He stabbed the Ancient's Sword into the creature's only remaining front limb and severed it. The claw immediately turned to dust and Mone jumped up as the stone dragon recoiled. He raced at it and grabbed on of the spikes on its neck to haul himself up. With a grunt he slashed his sword through the dragon's neck. There was a pause, then the head fell to the ground and both halves of the dragon turned to dust. Mone wiped his brow and sighed, then grunted and clutched his arm.

He turned and took the idol from his pocket before laying it down in the center of the collessium. A small, lizardlike Colossus rose in a flash of light. "Kuromori..." he whispered.

* * *

**Hmm...I think I spelled collesium wrong...eh, whatever.**


	26. Malus's Story Part 4

**Alright, let's get crackin'! Last time on 'Dormin's Curse', a giant rock dragon crushed Mone's personal guard. They defeated it, and Mone created Kuromori. Now, the next part of 'Malus's Story'.**

**I own nothing, except for blah blah blah...you can read it in the last chapter.**

**----------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts_

* * *

**Chapter 23**

Malus's Story Part 4

"There's only one left." Mone said, observing the final idol in his hand. Pyro and Daine stepped forward. "Sir, we must get moving." Pyro told him. "I agree, we are not safe here." Daine added. Skar turned to face the sun. Raising the sword to its light, Mone led his men to a giant open plain. "The sword's magic is reacting strongly to this area." Mone told them. "We must search this field--"

Without warning, a large hawk swooped down and grabbed the Ancient's Sword from Mone's hand. "That thief!" Yaz spat, cocking an arrow in his bow and raising it to the bird. He let the arrow fly and it sailed straight for the hawk. "That bird is as good as dead." Skar muttered. There was a sudden flash and a purple barrier surrounded the bird. The arrowhead cracked upon contact with the barrier, then disentegrated. "What the bloody hell?!" Yaz exclaimed. Pyro and Daine unsheathed their swords and raced towards the bird. It landed on a large rock and turned to face them.

Suddenly, a shadow in the shape of a man rose from the ground and a shadowsword appeared in its hand. "Sir, what are your orders?" Pyro asked Mone, holding his sword to the entity. "We must defeat this thing to proceed." Mone replied.

SHRINE OF WORSHIP

_**Caa-RAAAACKK!!!**_

Dormin turned his head towards the field in which Mone was.

**This young warrior is most amusing...Loki, make sure he is worthy to fight the demon which resides on Shadow Peak.**

THE FIELD

Pyro lunged with a yell and drove his sword at the creature. It jumped to the side and Pyro's sword was buried in the dirt. The thing then kicked Pyro's ribcage. There was a crack and Pyro hit the ground, screaming in pain and clutching his side. "You bastard!" Daine growled. He grabbed Pyro's sword from the ground and slashed it at the creature. It parried and slashed at his leg. Daine blocked with both swords and rammed his head into the entity.

It sprawled backwards but jumped back up almost immediately. "This thing..." Mone murmured, then his eyes widened and he fell to his knees.

A vision came to him. A man with red hair, spikes emerging from his forehead and a sword through his chest fell to his knees, similar to him, in front of three soldiers and a priest. The man pulled the sword from his chest and threw it to the ground. Rising from his knees, shadow enveloped him and--

"SIR!" a voice called. Mone hazily got to his feet, trying to steady himself. It seemed that the world was spinning. He became distantly aware of a hand grabbing his arm and pulling him to the side. There was a whistling sound, and a birdcall snapped Mone to his senses. "What's happening?!" he asked. He found Skar grabbing him by the arm and the creature only two feet to his left, its sword embedded in the ground where Mone had been seconds before. "What the hell were you doing, sir?! That thing nearly killed you!" Skar shouted. Mone looked towards the rock where the hawk was and found the bodies of Pyro and Yaz at the base. "PYRO! YAZ!!" he screamed, trying to break free of Skar's grip.

"It's too late, sir! They're gone!" Skar told him. The entity removed its sword from the earth and Daine came out of nowhere, driving his sword through the thing's head. It seemed to ripple for a moment, then its body melted into the ground. Mone walked forward and examined its remains, then looked up at Daine. "I am so sorry. If I hadn't been distracted..." he paused for a moment, taking a breath.

"It wasn't your fault, sir." Daine told him. Mone turned to the hawk and held out his arm. To his surprise, it flew forward and dropped the Ancient's Sword at his feet before screeching and soaring towards a giant rock gate in the distance. Mone picked up the sword and sheathed it, then turned to his two remaining men. "Let's get going. I have a promise to keep."

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**DEAR GOD, it's been awhile! ROFLMAOLOLICOPTER!! Sorry for the long wait!**


	27. Malus's Story Part 5

**Ugghhh...(joints crack) Right then, last ti--oh my god, hang on a second. (stretches his arms with a groan) Just woke up. Eh-hemm.**

**Last time on 'Dormin's Curse', Dormin sent Loki the hawk and a shadow warrior to test Mone's skills. Unfortunately, Mone and his unprepared men were caught completely off guard, and Pyro and Yaz were massacred. Meanwhile, Mone caught a fleeting glimpse of what could be Wander's future, and now it is time for him and the remaining warriors to find out what final monstrosity awaits them beyond the stone door.**

**I own nothing 'cept for everything after Chapter 22 and before Chapter 28! ...waking me up at 6 in the morning, unacceptable I tell you--!**

**-----------------------------------------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts_

* * *

**Chapter 24**

Malus's Story Part 5

Mone, Skar and Daine walked to the stone gate they had seen in the distance. They passed many trees, rocks and lizards on the way, which all seemed otherworldly. As if they did not belong there. The trio reached the gate and Mone raised the Ancient's Sword on instinct. The gale wind which would centuries later trouble Wander immediately bashed into Mone's form, but the warrior gritted his teeth and marched forward. He raised the Ancient's Sword, then brought it down in a clean arc as if trying to sever the gate in half.

This is precisely what he did, and the gale changed direction, blowing the now-broken gate open. Mone sheathed his sword and Skar and Daine followed him into the mountain path they found themselves in. Silence overtook them, except for grunts and quiet swearing as they climbed ramps and stairs and over rocks.

Finally, they came to a stone bridge. Across the bridge lay a giant stone structure, too large for Mone to see the entire thing all at once. The soldiers raced across the bridge, filled for a moment with a sudden terror that it would collapse, but then they breathed a sigh of relief on the other side.

_**KREEEEEEEEEE**_

With a screech Loki landed next to them, causing Skar and Daine to jump backwards and draw their weapons. Mone looked calmly at Loki for what could have been minutes, or hours. Finally, the hawk gave what seemed like a curt nod and spread its wings, beating them once, twice, three times before sailing upward. Suddenly encouraged, Mone began climbing the structure, and Daine and Skar followed.

They reached a flight of steps at the end of a tunnel and, upon scaling them, found two pillars, one on either side. Mone, seeing no better way up, seized a ridge on one of the pillars and hoisted himself upwards. Skar followed him, while Daine climbed the opposite pillar.

_AAAAAAAGGGGGGRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOO!!!_

The sudden scream nearly caused Mone to fall of the pillar, and he wildly looked around for the source. They were the only ones there, and Mone shook off the feeling of doom that had crept upon him before heaving upwards. He reached the top of the pillar and leaped off to find himself on a huge plain, with underground tunnels and bunkers and a stone platform at the opposite end. Daine and Skar soon made it to the top as well, and silently stared at the field.

"Sir?" Skar said at last. "We must get goi--" "I know, Skar." Mone said heatedly, then almost immediately bowed his head. "I am sorry, Skar, it is just...something about this place troubles me. The sooner we leave, the better."

They walked for a while across the plain, making it to the stone platform. There was suddenly a sickening _**THUD**_ and Daine screamed in pain. Mone whirled around to see Skar had impaled Daine with his sword. "SKAR!!!" Mone shouted, wrenching the blade from Skar's hands. "Sir, his eyes--!" Skar began. An uncontrollable rage siezed Mone, and his arms seemed to move of their own will in a sideways arc. Time seemed to slow as the blade cut through Skar's body like butter, cleaving him in half. The two pieces of the corpse fell to the floor, and Mone was suddenly on his knees, tears running down his face. "What's happening to me...?!" he wailed, Skar's bloody sword cast aside.

"You're finally understanding." said a quiet voice behind him.

Mone immediately grabbed Skar's sword and stood, whirling around and unsheathing the Ancient's Sword as he did so. He found himself looking at a grey-skinned, black-clothed version of himself with red eyes. "Who are you?!" he growled. The other-Mone smiled and spread his arms.

"I am you. And you...are me." he said, touching his chest and then pointing to Mone's. Mone stood stock still, then gasped as wicked horns curved outwards from the other-Mone's head. His hands turned to clawed talons and his back straightened, causing him to appear taller than he was. Stony armor seemed to ripple out of the other-Mone's flesh, creating a rock-clad warrior with shining red eyes. "No...no!!" Mone cried, stepping back.

"Welcome...to the family." 'Mone' whispered. Mone shrieked in agony as a sudden white-hot pain washed over his body. He dropped his swords and fell to the ground, curled up before the other-Mone. "S-stop...s-s-stop this..." he shivered, arms wrapped around himself. The other-Mone bent down and picked up Skar's sword, examining it. "Tut-tut, more blood would have been excellent. But beggars can't be choosers." The stone-clad Mone swung the sword experimentally. "This will make for a good trophy."

Mone's eyes shot open, and hot blood filled his veins. His heartbeat quickened almost to the point of being dangerous, and he rolled backwards before grabbing the handle of Daine's blade and ripping it from its sheathe. He sprang forward, blade towards the rocky Mone, and the sword met empty air as the other-Mone stepped aside. The momentum allowed Mone to dive into a roll, picking up the Ancient's Sword as he did so. He whirled to face the other-Mone.

"Why is it that of these two swords, you chose to pick up the less-powerful one?" Mone hissed, surprised at his voice. It was now barely human, seeming to be comprised of growls and moans. The rocky Mone grinned underneath his rock-mask and swung Skar's sword. "Petty weapons such as that don't trouble me." he stated with a laugh. Mone stopped breathing for a moment, then he locked eyes with the other-Mone and saw something actually _shift_ between them.

"...liar."

"What did you call me?" The other-Mone asked quietly, his voice now dangerous and sharp instead of calm and collected. "You are a bastardous liar and a thief, no less!" Mone growled. "You cannot touch this sword for it will burn your flesh! That is why you have hidden under stone armor!" "I will not tolerate--" "You are nothing but a worthless, lying coward! I don't have time do deal with you!" "How DARE you--" "And worst of all," Mone cried, almost yelling now, "You MURDERED MY FRIENDS!!!"

The rocky Mone stood still for a moment, then chuckled. "Did I? Or did _you_?" there was silence for a moment, then Mone tightened the grip on his swords. "You...BASTARD!!!" he roared, flashing forward. The other-Mone stepped back in alarm and found Mone right in front of him. The imposter slashed his sword at the warrior, only to have it blocked by Daine's sword and see Mone's other arm draw back.

With a cry Mone snapped his arm forward, causing the Ancient's Sword to whistle into the rocky Mone's armor and slice through it. The rocky Mone shouted in pain and recoiled, only to have Mone slice his right arm off. Skar's sword clattered to the ground as Mone drew his arm back for another strike. The other-Mone was ready this time, however, and dropped to his knees before kicking out at Mone. His foot collided solidly with Mone's shin, and the warrior yelled in agony as he fell to the ground.

Mone' grabbed Skar's sword from the ground with his remaining arm and slashed it at Mone. The warrior screamed in pain and frustration as the sword sliced his skin open, and he sprang to his feet at the same time as the copy. "THE FINAL BLOW!!!" they cried in unison. They both raised their weapons and leaped at the other, swords aimed at the heart.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUN!! For those of you who might've been confused when Mone said 'You murdered my friends', here's what he meant. Upon the question of his identity , the copycat declared that he **_**was**_** Mone, and earlier Mone had been overcome with a fit of rage that caused him to strike down Skar with his own blade. Thus, Mone came to the conclusion that it had been the other-Mone which influenced him to kill Skar.**

**Read and Review, please! Hope this was long enough and worth the wait! Next chapter, Malus is made and...well, you'll just have to see.**

**Look forward to the final three chapters of Part 1, coming soon to a website near you! And maybe even some Redux chapters!**


	28. Wander Possessed, The Seal Broken

**(yawn) Right then, I'm bored and lazy so I'ma leave you with a cliffhanger. You won't find out what happened to Mone and his look-a-like until the next chapter. ^.^ Deal with it.**

**JKJK, but seriously, you'll find out what happened in the next chapter. I have a good idea for a great twist, too!**

**Last time on Dormin's Curse, Mone, Skar and Daine reached Shadow Peak when suddenly Skar struck down Daine. Mone, in a sudden fit of rage, cleaved Skar in two with his own blade. A shadowy figure appeared, claiming to be Mone, and a brief fight ensued. Now, the next part of the story!**

**I own nothing!**

**-----------------------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts

* * *

_

**Chapter 25**

Wander Possessed

Emon waved his hand over Mono's body, muttering to himself, as his three soldiers held their weapons at the ready and glanced nervously around the room. "Sir," the man with the crossbow began. "What is is, Fushia?" Emon snapped, turning to face him. Fushia turned as well, then they all heard a great rumble and turned to see light shining from the idol at the end of the hall.

_**CRRRRRR-AAAACCCKKKK!!!**_

With a tremor that rocked the hall, the idol exploded and crumbled into dust. Emon stared for a moment, then dropped to his knees. "We're doomed..." he whispered.

**Thou were doomed from the minute thine body entered Our realm.**

Standing and drawing a knife at the same time, Emon looking around wildly. Fushia raised his crossbow and his other two men unsheathed their swords. "I know that voice...!" Emon growled. "Show yourself, Dormin!"

There was a pause, then a chuckle from the god.

**Thou art not happy to hear Our voice again?**

"Stop playing games, Dormin!" Emon bellowed. "WHERE ARE YOU?!"

**Better to ask, where are We not? We almost feel sadness from the knowledge that a worthy opponent such as thou will breathe no more on this day. Behold, Our pawn!**

There was a grunt, then a body dropped from the hole in the ceiling from which light filtered through. It hit the ground with a 'CRASH' and didn't move. Emon took a step forward, then gasped and swung his knife in rage. "YOU--!!" he roared.

Wander moaned, rolled slowly onto his stomach, and with a great effort heaved himself up. His lungs were on fire, his legs were made of lead and a great pain erupted from his forehead. He got as far as his knees before having to stop, his breathing ragged. "L-Lord Dormin--!" he gasped. "W-what is--?!"

Wander then screamed and flung his arms to the side, black mist exploding from his mouth, eyes and chest. The mist quickly filled up the entire hall; when it cleared, Wander was on his feet, swaying dangerously. "Where is the sword you stole, brat?!" Emon growled, pointing his dagger at Wander. The young warrior tried to take a step forward, nearly falling over. The Ancient's Sword whistled into the hall and fell with a clang at Wander's feet. Emon waved to a swordsman, who stepped forward with his blade at the ready. Wander, oblivious to the world, felt his forehead and was surpised to feel horns beneath his hair. "Lord Dormin..." he whispered, then screamed as he felt another pain, this one searing through his midsection.

The pain brought him to his senses, and he found himself staring at the helm of a soldier, the sword of the soldier impaled through his chest. Wander gasped, blood flowing from the wound, and for the first time noticed Emon standing at the alter. "YOU--!" he hissed, blood trickling down his chin. He growled and gripped the sword's blade in both hands, and the soldier backed away in fear before turning to run back to Emon. He felt a great pain in his head, and then with a yell that was suddenly cut short his head was crushed to dust by Wander's hand. Wander removed the sword from his chest and threw it to his right, causing it to land with a 'thump' in the dusty remains of Quadratus's idol.

"Shoot him, Fushia!" Emon cried, backing away as Wander advanced. His eyes flashed red, and he reached a clawed hand towards them. Fushia, in a panic, loaded his crossbow and fired. The bolt pierced Wander's right leg and the warrior fell to the ground with a groan, holding the arrow shaft. He ripped it out quickly and raised himself up again. "KILL HIM NOW!!!" Emon screamed.

**Too late, mortal.**

"GWAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Wander roared in a voice too loud and too deep to come from his throat. Emon, Fushia and the remaining swordsman were flung against Mono's alter by a great wind, and Emon raised his head dizzily to see that Wander's skin was now grey. His eyes were electric blue, with no pupil or cornea to be found. As if to complete the horrific transformation, two horns each at least three feet long curved outward from his head. "You...fool..." Emon murmured, standing. Fushia and the swordsman followed suit.

**"Fool?"** Wander asked, but Emon flinched. The voice was identical to Dormin's. **"We can assure thee, mortal, We art no fool." **"My ancestor sealed you away so you would never again trouble mankind!" Emon yelled. "I shall follow in his footsteps, and kill you now!" He raced forward, dagger raised. He swung it down, aiming for Wander's head. At the last second, his right arm shot out and grabbed the blade firmly. "W-what--?!" Emon gasped. With his other hand Wander grabbed Emon's arm and clenched his fist.

_**CRACK**_

"AAAAGGGHHH!!" Emon screamed as the bones in his arm broke. **"Pitiful."** Wander said softly. He raised his leg and rested his foot on Emon's chest, then with one swift movement shot it forward. Emon coughed up blood as Wander's foot squeezed his organs, and a second later was thrown back with great force. He skidded to a stop at the bottom of the stairs leading to the alter, gasping for air and holding his arm and chest. A shadow fell over him and he looked up to see Wander. The warrior was...smiling.

**"Thine ancestor was a much better adversary than thee, mortal fool."** Wander told him. With a swift kick to Emon's ribcage the possessed warrior sent him flying up the stairs and crashing into Fushia, who was knocked over. The remaining swordsman, known as Clayton, raised his blade and advanced towards Wander. While the warrior wasn't looking Clayton swung his sword, but the metal met empty air. He looked back to see Wander halfway down the hall, standing with his arms behind his back.

Fushia helped Emon to his feet, and Emon turned to Wander in a rage. "YOU KILLED MY ANCESTOR!" Emon bellowed. "YOU KILLED MONE! YOU KILLED THE GREATEST HERO THERE EVER WAS!"

His angry words were met with booming laughter. **"Simple-minded mortal."** Dormin's voice replied. **"We did not kill Mone."** "What are you saying?!" Emon snapped. **"The one who murdered thine ancestor...stands before thou."** Wander replied. Emon was silent, then his eyes widened. "H...how?!" he gasped.

**"Mindless humans, thine myths and legends about Our land art nothing but the truth...except for the rumor of what happened to thine ancestor. Shalt we tell thee what really occured?" **Dormin's voice asked. Emon spit at his feet. "Talk, you blasted heathen!" the priest yelled. **"Very well..."** Wander answered, his face breaking into a great smile.

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**Read and review, please! Anyone who guesses what happened gets a cyber cookie!**


	29. Mone's Story Finale

**K, here we are! After this, the final chapter of Dormin's Curse: Part 1!**

**Last time on Dormin's Curse, Emon and his warriors had finally made it to the alter. Wander appeared, disfigured from the essence of the sixteen Colossi surging through him, and Emon attempted to strike him down. Dormin then took Their chance and possessed the warrior, quickly defeating Emon and his men. As the transformation neared completion, Dormin offered to tell Emon how Mone had died. This is what truly happened.**

**I own nothing!**

**----------------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts_

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**Chapter 26**

Mone's Story, Finale

_**SHING**_

Mone and his look-a-like stood with their backs to each other, the other-Mone's blade straight out and Mone's swords held to each side. Neither moved, then the other-Mone grunted and fell to his knees. "I-impossible..." he coughed. With one swift movement, Mone spun around and beheaded the imposter. He sighed, then growled and yelled at the sky. He threw the final idol to the ground, then raised the Ancient's Sword.

**We would not do that if We were thou...**

Ignoring the god, Mone let loose a roar of anger before slamming his sword down onto the idol and cleaving it in half. Blue energy exploded from the statue, swirling around Mone, who dropped his swords and raised his arms to protect his face. When he was able to see again, Dormin stood before him, the Colossus God staring at him with Their blue eyes. "You BASTARD!!!" Mone screamed at him. "You...you knew my comrades were going to die!" he growled. Dormin merely stepped forward, causing Mone to take several steps back.

**And if We did? We assure thee, if thou had not placed these idols then catastrophe would have struck here.**

"And now that I have?!" Mone yelled. "What do I get in return for placing these statues and the deaths of my friends?!" if Dormin had a mouth, They would have chuckled.

**Now catastrophe strikes elsewhere. We thank thee, stupid mortal, for giving Us a way out of this valley.**

The god began to turn and Mone, gripped by a mix of emotions, was unable to move. Thoughts, memories, images, they all flashed through his head in a matter of seconds. He finally came to one conclusion; he had betrayed his people, and the only way to make things right was to kill Dormin. "NOOOOOOO!!" he roared, seizing the Ancient's Sword and racing forward. He stabbed Dormin's ankle and They roared, twisting and slamming Their hand into his face. Mone was thrown backward and the Ancient's Sword was flung to the side.

**Thou dares to challenge a God? Very well, We shalt grant thine wish!**

Dormin raised an arm, then brought it down with a crash. A massive shockwave knocked Mone into the air, and Dormin gave a snort before twisting Their head. One of Their horns impaled Mone's chest, and the warrior groaned in pain.

**Dead already?**

"BASTARD!" Mone screamed. He breathed in deeply, then let loose a flurry of blood from his mouth. The blood spattered over Dormin's eyes and the God raised a hand to Their head, groaning and staggering backwards.

**MAGGOT!**

Mone slid from the horn as Dormin bent down, trying to shake the blood from Their eyes. He raced to the Ancient's Sword, the immense pain of his wound lost in the rush, and plucked it from the ground before turning to face Dormin. The god blindly charged, and Mone had to leap out of the way. He timed carefully, then stabbed his sword into Dormin's right leg and was pulled along as the God ran. Dormin cried out and came to an abrupt stop, allowing Mone to jump higher up Their leg.

**Release Us, mortal!**

"Never!" Mone spat through gritted teeth. He continued scaling the God's limbs, holding the Ancient's Sword between his teeth as he climbed. He came to the God's back and found a path of fur. Gripping the sword tightly, he drove the blade into Dormin's back. Dormin roared again and took a step forward, then threw Their back to the side. Mone lost his grip on the sword and was thrown to the right, managing to scrabble a hold on Dormin's right thigh. He groaned and nearly fell off, then shook his head to clear it and reached a hand up to climb.

Dormin threw Their back to the side again, and Mone was flung to the left this time. He grabbed at the Ancient's Sword and it was wrenched from Dormin's back. They roared in pain as the blade was ripped from their flesh and Mone hit the ground with a THUD, gasping as his left arm snapped.

**How DARE thou--!**

Dormin whirled and smashed Their fist into the ground near Mone, causing a shockwave which threw the warrior back. He shuddered in pain as he stood, then turned to see Dormin raising Their arm. "What the hell...?" Mone murmured, then saw a black orb appear in Dormin's palm. "No...NO!" Mone yelled.

**We shalt guarantee that thou shalt never trouble Us again!**

Dormin swung Their arm forward and black tendrils shot from Their palm, colliding heavily with Mone's chest and sending him twisting backwards. He smashed into the giant stone platform, lying still on the ground. The warrior then felt a change in his body, as if his very skin was...

With a jolt he rose, staggering as his body grew larger and heavier. His flesh turned to stone, and the parts that did not sprouted fur. Dormin watched silently as Mone grew to enormous size, until finally a garment of rock extended from his waist and stopped at his ankles. Mone looked at his now giant hands, then down at Dormin.

**And with that, Malus, We leave thee.**

Dormin turned, then felt a jolt of electricity strike Their head and whirled to see Mone, now to be forevermore called Malus, with his hand pointed at Them. Static crackled around a stone ring which glowed yellow on his wrist.

_You, Dormin, will indeed leave. But you shall leave for good. I will make sure of it._

**Thou dares to challenge Us?! Still?!**

With a roar Dormin raised Their fist, but Malus simply raised his leg and brought it down. The resulting shockwave blew the god halfway across the giant platform. Malus' foot sunk deeply into the rocky circle, and he could not lift it again. Instead he raised his other leg, bringing it down with a bang. Dormin was flung back again, this time only barely grabbing the edge. They looked up to see Malus pointing his arm at Them.

**We shalt not forget this, warrior...**

_Nor shall I._

There was a flash of yellow, and Dormin fell with a roar into the great canyon that lay a mile below. There was an earth-shattering BOOM as the now defeated God impacted, and a black shadow flew from the corpse to the Shrine of Worship. There was a blinding light from the ancient building, then nothing. Malus sighed and looked at himself once more. This is what he was to be, until the end of his days.

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**Oooh, yay! Mone was turned into Malus! Did anybody see that coming? Ah, whatever. Read and review please!**


	30. Dormin, the Immortal

**Okay, final chapter of Dormin's Curse: Part 1. After this chapter we'll have a short story about what happens after the credits roll, as well as the list of redux chapters we'll be doing. After that (and the actual redux chapters, of course) Part 2 of Dormin's Curse will begin!**

**Part 2 will be set in the Renaissance times, and the main character (who is yet to be named) will carry the Ancient's Sword and a pistol instead of a bow and arrow; the pistol will be able to hold three kinds of bullets. I'm just stalling for time right now, guys; I've got 16 custom colossi raring to go (one of them invented by nightlight6) but I'd like to have more than the game had so this fanfiction will be longer. Apologies!**

**Okay, now back to the story. Last time on Dormin's Curse, it was revealed that although Mone completed Dormin's task, the god was using the warrior so They could escape the Forbidden Lands. Mone tried to stop Dormin, but the Colossus God transformed him into the colossus known as Malus. Malus, however, attacked Dormin and destroyed Their body, leaving Them as a mere remnant of what They once were.**

**And now, the conclusion of our epic tale. I own nothing but Mone, his soldiers, and everything involved in Part 2 except Dormin!**

**---------------------------------------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts_

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**Chapter 27**

The Immortal

_ONE HOUR EARLIER..._

"So, Malus...you are a warrior, cursed by Lord Dormin?" Wander asked with a laugh, gasping in pain as he did so and placing a hand on his ribcage.

_Dormin is no lord; They trapped me inside this accursed body, unable to return home. Unable to tell my people I was alright. Unable...to see my family..._

"Your...urk...family?" the young warrior questioned in-between gasps. Malus looked down at him and nodded slowly. "Well, if Dormin is so evil, then why did They help me...?" Wander asked.

_I feel that you will find out soon enough..._

Wander suddenly felt himself being lifted into the air. He rose high above Malus' head, and nearly gasped as he saw the cursed warrior's eyes flicker, then die. He then blacked out.

_PRESENT-TIME..._

"No!" Emon shouted. "You lie!" **"We do not lie about Our colossi, human."** Wander replied, turning from Emon and his men and walking slowly down the hall. **"We have only told thee the truth; how thou takes it is none of Our concern. We have what We wanted, and now We shalt do what thine ancestor only delayed. Escape this valley."** "No you won't!" Fushia cried, raising his crossbow. Wander halted and stood still. Fushia breathed heavily.

"Dormin, most unholy of gods," said Emon, "you are bound to this land and are not permitted to leave. I shall make sure you do not." **"Heh heh heh heh..."** Dormin's chuckle echoed around the hall as Wander turned to them. Fushia and the man with the sword stepped back. **"Mortals have no place here in the first place. It is thine own fault." **Emon growled, then he and his men gasped as black shadow swarmed over Wander's body from his eyes. Seven shadowy soldiers began to rise from the floor, their motions suggesting that they were climbing out of an unseen hole. **"We shalt kill thou and thine men, if only to show that We do not tolerate disloyalty." **The god's voice faded away and Wander stepped back, his eyes shining, as the shadow beings slowly moved forward.

Emon's legs went numb, and he whirled to face his men. "Fushia! Kill the boy!" he yelled. Fushia looked taken aback. "But sir--" "Dormin cannot escape this place without a host body! KILL THE BOY!" Emon screamed. Fushia fumbled for his crossbow, took aim, and fired. The arrow struck Wander's shoulder and the warrior staggered back; the shadow beings halted. **"Hahahahahahahahaha! Did thou really think We would be so easily slain?"** Wander asked, amused. Then suddenly, in Wander's own voice, the warrior grunted in pain and fell to his knees, his palms on the stones.

**"No...! The body of a mortal is too weak to be of use! We must regain Our true body!"** Dormin shouted. The shadow soldiers all turned and ran to Wander; they melted into his flesh and he grew in size as more shadow warriors emerged from the walls at the end of the hall and ran to the warrior. "What--?! NO!" Emon yelled. Fushia and the swordsman only stared in horror at the demonic transformation before them.

The stone floor of the hall cracked under the god's weight as They grew larger and larger with each shadow warrior that hit them. Long shadowy hairs grew all over the black being's body, and its eyes turned a hideously evil blue, becoming inhumanly round. The warrior's arms lengthened greatly and his hands curved into claws, and his feet became pointed. When the entity was only a few yards away from the ceiling, long demonic horns sprouted from its head and four jointed tentacles curved out from its back. Emon stepped back, tripped over a rock and fell to the ground.

Dormin looked at Their newly restored body and tilted Their head to the side; this form was only a shadow of what They once were. But it would have to do. The god colossus then glanced down at the now-tiny humans before Them, staring at the crouched black demon.

**The mortal's body is now Ours; Our power is restored.**

"No! He's been ressurected!" Emon cried, his breathing ragged. Dormin chuckled, raised an arm, and brought it down.

_**BOOOOOOOOM**_

Fushia and the swordsman were each lifted into the air several feet by the quake that shook the Shrine of Worship. Dormin repositioned Their feet, then a gale wind began to blow through the hall. The human's clothing whipped around their limbs and buffeting their bodies.

**Thou shalt never leave this place...**

Dormin inhaled deeply, then lurched Their head forward. A stream of blue fire erupted from Their face and set the moss around Mono's altar aflame. "Go! Get to the end of the hall!" Emon cried, running forward. Fushia and the swordsman quickly followed; Fushia fired a volley of bolts from his crossbow, which the god lazily blocked with Their arm, and the swordsman impaled the Colossus' leg with his blade.

"Go! I will catch up!" Emon ordered them. The two men sprinted for the end of the hall and raced up the spiral ramp. The old priest picked up the Ancient's Sword and brandished it towards Dormin while backing away. The god turned to face him and booming laughter filled the Shrine.

**What doth thou hope to do with that little twig? Thou cannot do Us harm now; We are invincible.**

"I don't plan on fighting you, Dormin. That's suicide." Emon muttered, still backing up. "But I know that this sword is the one thing you have ever feared!" with that he stuck the Ancient's Sword in the air. Blinding light erupted from the tip, far brighter than anything before it, and Dormin shielded Their eyes with a roar. Emon ran to the spiral ramp and climbed as fast as he could, finding Fushia and the swordsman gone but his horse waiting. Emon mounted up.

**Where did thou go--?! Do not think that We will let thou go so easily!**

"Begone, foul demon!" Emon cried, throwing the Ancient's Sword up and urging his steed out of the shrine. The sword fell down, down, down, until it landed with a mighty _**splash**_ in the pool at the foot of the ramp.

A roar filled the Forbidden Lands and the wind everywhere within the valley was pulled towards the Shrine of Worship; a vacuum tore away at Dormin's body as They scrambled frantically for a foothold.

_You will be forever trapped here, like us._

**Who dares speak to Us, the mighty Dormin, in such a tone?**

But Dormin recognized the voice; it was that of Malus, the slain colossus who had long ago destroyed Dormin's body. Then another voice, all too familiar, entered Their mind as well.

Never again will anyone fall for your tricks or believe your lies..._Lord Dormin_...

**Warrior!**

Dormin roared as They shrank; finally, only Wander's shadow-covered body was left, trying pointlessly to escape the vortex that was created within the pool.

We'll see you in the afterlife.

_Don't keep us waiting._

The will of the two soldiers slammed into Dormin's, and won; the god was thrown back into the pool and the vortex vanished without a trace.

As Emon raced with his men across the giant bridge, it began to collapse under their very feet. Safely reaching the edge, Emon turned back to the Shrine of Worship. "Maybe someday, he can undo the sin he brought upon this place." Emon murmured, then turned and walked with his men through the gates of the Forbidden Lands.

Inside the Shrine, Mono's eyes fluttered open and she breathed deeply; air! She had forgotten how sweet it was! Looking around at the strange room she was in, she heard a cry. Getting to her feet, stumbling from her unused legs, she made her way slowly to the pool chamber. Within the pool, she found a baby, his hair red and horns on his head. Mono lovingly picked up the child, feeling strangely familiar with it, and cradled it in her arms.

_**CLOPCLOP-CLOP**_

_**CLOPCLOP-CLOP**_

_**CLOPCLOP-CLOP**_

Mono turned to see a beautiful black horse limping down the hall towards her. It held its hind-right leg awkwardly, as if it were unable to use it. Mono rose, the now asleep baby in her arms, and walked to the horse; touching its mane, she smiled and buried her face in its neck. "You're so familiar..." Mono whispered. The horse gave a snort and whinnied, and Mono stepped back. Suddenly she got a vision; a vision of a red-haired boy, no older than eighteen, with tears streaming down his cheeks and a smile on his face. "Agro..." the boy whispered softly before fading from Mono's mind.

"Agro?" Mono repeated. The horse turned to look at her and neighed, then continued to limp to the ramp. Mono smiled and walked with Agro, her hand on his side, as they ascended the spiral ramp together. "Do you know where that boy is?" Mono asked. Agro whinnied, flicking his tail which brushed over the baby's face. Mono blinked, then looked down at the child with great affection. "I see..." she murmured.

They reached the top and found the stone door opened; walking out into the sunshine, which Mono delighted in, she saw Agro limping to the side. She followed the magnificent horse to another ramp, which curled around the shrine. She ran up to the top and found an archway. She was about to step in, but Agro neighed and she stopped, waiting for the injured horse.

When Agro caught up, Mono stepped into a beautiful garden with lush trees, green plants, and lizards and foxes and birds all around her. She heard water flowing and glanced down to see a canal cut into the garden, running all around it. Mono tore off a piece of her dress, wrapped the baby in it, then set him down as she took in the lovely sight. Agro lay down next to the baby, nuzzled him with his nose, then fell asleep. Mono smiled again, sat by the horse's side, and within minutes was asleep as well.

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**Hooray! Agro didn't die! I am sure that very few, if any, people watched the scene where Agro returned without shedding a tear.**

**Rejoice, for Part 1 is done! (fanfare) All you have to do now is wait for me to do the Redux chapters, and then we can get started on Part 2! Don't stop reading, we're not even half done! See ya for now--I'm off to make more Colossi!**

**Read and review!**


	31. The Aftermath

**(Note: This chapter is mainly about what happened to Mono, Agro, the boy with Dormin's horns and the Colossi.)**

**As Emon and his men fled the Forbidden Lands, they turned their backs on the oddities which occured there upon their departure. The land ripened, and greenery, vegetation and foliage dotted the landscape. Deer, birds, crocodiles and more began to make the Forbidden Land their homes, and the boy who bore Dormin's horns but Wander's body grew to a great age.**

**Agro the horse had surpassed even his master, growing to over a thousand years old without physically aging at all. Mono and the boy who resembled Wander died seven years after Dormin was resealed from a massive earthquake which tore a hole in the side of a mountain, revealing a misty path into unknown territory. But Agro lived on.**

**As centuries passed, the stony remains of the Colossi underwent a transformation as well. The moss and rock faded away, and as the Colossi rose again their stone armor fell apart, revealing them as biological creatures. Valus the Minotaur remained atop its cliff, watching the Shrine of Worship and the rest of the land from a distance. Quadratus the Boar, with its horn healed, left its beachside home and wandered the Forbidden Lands as far as it could, always returning to its beach to sleep.**

**Gaius the Warrior, unbalanced from the loss of its armor, fell from its platform and was trapped in the valley, unable to escape or climb its platform again. Phaedra the Horse walked calmly around its field, unconcerned by the troubles of its brethren. Avion the Eagle flew from its lake and traveled all over the Lands, going where it wished but, like Quadratus, returning home to rest. Darba the Dwarf, unable to escape its hole, found a tunnel within its home that led to the surface, and so traveled to and fro across the Forbidden Lands.**

**Hydrus the Electric Eel learned of a passage at the bottom of its lake which led to the ocean, and escaped out to sea, returning every two years for a month to rest. Kuromori the Salamander was content with its coliseum and crawled the walls with glee, although doing so required more effort now that it was flesh and blood. Basaran the Tortoise, grateful for the removal of its heavy and hot armor, traveled around its field of geysers and rested in its cave; it did not concern itself with the rest of the Forbidden Land, of which it did not even know existed.**

**Dirge the Sandsnake dug tunnels all over the Forbidden Lands, creating an underground web which allowed it to go anywhere it desired. Celosia the Boar raced around in its pit, keeping well away from the flames but enjoying itself quite a lot. Pelagia the Aquatic Lightning went into slumber under its lake for several hundred years.**

**Phalanx the Skyserpent, like Avion, travelled as it wished across the Forbidden Lands, spending most of its time in the desert and resting once every month. Cenobia the Lion, excited to see a wall crumble from the earthquake and reveal a whole new section of its city, explored for years to come. Argus the Executioner stalked in its valley, never again returning to the city where it had been defeated.**

**And Malus the Cursed Warrior, while not restored to his human form, was once again able to move and walked across his platform, watching over all of the Forbidden Lands.**

**Thousands of years passed, and Dormin waited. They had not given up on their desire to escape. Then, a miracle; the bridge into the lands was restored by none other than the tribe that had declared those lands forbidden in the first place. They came in the hundreds and settled all over what was now the Fertile Land.**

**The Colossi, undisturbed by the appearance of the humans, went about as they had before the humans had arrived (all except Pelagia, who awoke with the human's appearance).**

**Dormin, intrigued by the opportunity given to Them, watched for a hundred years, and then another hundred, and another, as the humans prospered and scattered across the Forbidden Lands; but never did they even approach the misty path that had been opened by the Earthquake. Then, finally, a girl was born. This girl would decide the future of the Fertile Lands. And her name was...**

_"...Lexus...hey, Lexus! Wake up!"_


	32. Quadratus, the Bull REDUX

**REDUX Text:**

**K, here's the first redux chapter. I took out where Dormin spoke of Wander as Their pawn, and as I write this I am planning to rewrite the entire fight scene with Quadratus. I hope you enjoy it.**

**-----------------------------------------------------**

**Wahoo! I'm on a roll!**

**I'm pleased to say that I've just gotten my first review(s). Thank you!**

**Now then, we've got a real fight on our hands! Let's see how Wander handles Quadratus, shall we?**

**I own nothing!**

**------------------------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking _

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**Chapter 3 (Redux)**

The Bull

Faintly, and very dimly, Wander was aware of someone standing next to him. But when he opened his eyes, he couldn't see anyone. Slowly he heaved himself to his feet, and heard the distant rumble that signaled Dormin's speech.

**At last, thou hath awoken! We were beginning to think that thy wish would be over before thee had begun.**

"Lord Dormin?" he asked weakly, shielding his eyes from the light. A whinny reached his ears, and he turned to see Agro running to him.

**Aye, brave adventurer. Valus took his toll on thee, did he not? But thy effort is in plain sight. Behold!**

The rays of light coming from above focused on one of the idols. At least, what _remained_ of an idol. The idol that had represented Valus had crumbled, and Wander felt like the familiarity he had with the room was gone with just the collapse of Valus's statue. So the Colossus really was gone. "Lord Dormin, I am honored to complete your task if it means Mono will return." he said.

There was a pause, then the rumbling returned.

**Thy eager nature may prove to be thy downfall. Very well. Thy next foe is...in the seaside cave...it moves slowly...raise thy courage to defeat it...**

Wander waited for some indication as to where he should start looking, but it seemed like Dormin was done. With a sigh he mounted Agro and kicked the horse's sides, making his way out of the Shrine of Worship.

ONE HOUR LATER...

_Seaside cave, seaside cave..._ Wander thought, glancing around at the countryside. He took out the Ancient's Sword yet again, but it kept pointing to a gorge. Sighing, he sheathed it and set Agro into a canter, heading down the ramp to the beach below. He suddenly felt the same evil, dark feeling he'd gotten when Valus was near him. He made Agro trot to a giant stone door, not seeing the Colossus anywhere. "Where is this thing?" he asked himself.

_**Rrmblrrrmmbblrmbl**_

"What the--?!" Wander whirled around, unable to locate the source of the sound. But it was nearby...

_**THUMP**_

_**THUMP**_

_**THUMP**_

_**ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**_

With a mighty crash the stone door exploded outward, the pieces flying everywhere. Wander ducked to avoid one such piece, which embedded itself deeply into the sand behind him. He looked up and gasped. Two shining blue eyes stared out at him from a dark cave; the ground shook as a hoofed foot extended from the blackness and impacted on the sand. Another foot, then the massive horned head of a bull.

The colossus slowly emerged, and Wander gazed in horror. Its legs were encased in stone, and fur covered its sides and back. The colossus shook itself before turning its head to face him. Its eyes flashed red, and Wander nearly fell over; how could he defeat this?!

"AGRO!" He yelled. Agro whinnied and raced forward; Wander leapt atop his steed's back as Agro ran and climbed into the saddle; he looked back to see the mighty bull slowly following them. It may have been massive, but it moved slowly. Wander took out his bow and nocked an arrow, then let it fly. It sailed through the air and clinked uselessly on the bull's head armor. Its eyes turned red.

**Fight, Warrior!**

"Hyah!" Wander cried, pulling on the reins. Agro wheeled around with a neigh and charged straight at the bull. Wander unsheathed his sword. _If I can time it just right, maybe...!_ he thought. The bull leaned down, then reared back. Its shadow fell over Wander as Agro halted. "No--!" he began.

_**SPPPPLLLSSHHHH**_

The ground shook and every sand on the beach quivered as the colossus' feet came back to earth; Agro bucked Wander off and raced for the ramp as the warrior wearily got to his feet again. "This is impossible..." he murmured.

**To scale Quadratus, attack that which supports the Colossus.**

"Attack that which..." Wander repeated, then saw Quadratus lean forward again. "Oh sh--" he began, then noticed the flesh on the bottom of Quadratus' hooves was very pink and squishy. Quickly taking his bow, he fired an arrow. It hit the flesh on the bottom of the Colossus' hoof and Quadratus bellowed. It swung its leg before bending it as it leaned down, causing its leg to hit the sand. Wander saw that the fur on Quadratus' leg could now be jumped to.

He raced to it eagerly and leaped; his hand caught hold of the moss-like fur and he twisted it to get a better hold.

_**ROOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUU**_

With an echoing moan Quadratus stood once more, shaking the leg that had been injured. Wander climbed higher--with some difficulty--and grabbed hold of a ledge which protruded from the colossus' leg. Resting for a moment atop the platform, he examined the colossus from this angle. He couldn't get to its back from where he was, but he could crawl along Quadratus' ribcage and climb up from there. Grinning, he leaped forward and grabbed the fur on the bull's ribcage. He swung forward again and grabbed another handful of the fur, hoisting himself up to the back. He took out the Ancient's Sword and found the beams focused in two places; Quadratus' back side and its head.

He turned and stabbed its back side; the Colossus roared and shook itself. But Wander was unaffected, and stabbed again. Another bellow met this, and with a third stab Wander got no reaction from the Colossus; this area was done. Turning, he raced down Quadratus' back, leaping over the bony spines protruding from its...well...spine.

Reaching its head, Wander was nearly thrown off as Quadratus swung its head violently to the side. Regaining his balance, Wander stabbed its head. The loudest roar to yet come from the colossus nearly shattered his eardrum, and the bull colossus shook its head again. Wander was thrown back, the Ancient's Sword still embedded in its head.

He jumped forward and grabbed it, pulled it out, and stabbed again. It was done; with a moan, Quadratus shuddered, then fell to the side with a mighty boom. Its body was covered in shadow, and as Wander slid from its head he was impaled by the black tentacles.

* * *

**REDUX Text: Definitely longer, but I hope it was better too.**

**Before you ask, yes, I took the symbols out. I thought it was stupid there'd be a gleaming mark on its vitals! Anyway, read and review please.**


	33. PART 2 START, Lexus

**Finally, an update! Redux chapters will remain scattered around the story, but for now, I'll get on with the second part of the tale. I own everything in part 2 except for Dormin, the old Colossi, Agro and the Forbidden Lands.**

* * *

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Lexus

"Lexus! C'mon, Lexus, get up!" "Huuuh...?" the girl yawned and scratched her head, then cracked an eye open to see her friend, Eolly, standing over her and tapping his foot. "The elder wants to see you! Did you forget?"

"Forget what, exactly...?" Lexus murmured, starting to drift off into peaceful slumber...

With a yell she sprang to her feet, cradling her sore hand; Eolly had stomped on it. "You moron! My poor hand..." she whined. "My, my. Who would've thought that a little crybaby like you would inherit the Ancient's Sword?" Eolly snickered. "Shut up!"

"Eolly! Lexus! Get over here!" a voice bellowed, and they winced. "Dad." Lexus muttered as a man with a scar over his right eye and a white robe approached. Ombane was a holy man at the Shrine of Worship, and he, along with the elder, was to present the sword to Lexus.

"Sorry, Dad! I was coming!" Lexus ran to him, closely followed by Eolly, who looked wary as the man's stern look passed over him. "Hurry up, the Elder is waiting." he snapped, then turned and walked towards the shrine in the distance. Followed by Eolly and Lexus, he made his way to the massive right staircase.

The humans were gathered in the grand hall, and next to the Altar of Spirits was Elder Agekale. "Get your ceremonial clothing, and hurry." Ombane ordered before going to stand next to the mask-wearing elder. Lexus ran to the pile of rubble at the end of the hall and picked up a cloak, slipping it on as she looked at the gathered crowd. "All this for me...?" she wondered.

Approaching the Altar of Spirits, she knelt before Elder Agekale. The aged woman turned and gently lifted the Ancient's Sword from the altar and held it to Lexus. "Here, Lexus is chosen as the warrior who guides the People of the Colossi, and as the peacemaker to whom the Colossi communicate. Lexus Enthwar, I, Thirteenth Elder of the People of the Colossi, present you with the Ancient's Sword, a symbol of your position among us, and a reminder of your duty to all living things."

Lexus extended a hand to the hilt, touching it with a single finger. She then rose and Elder Agekale held it to her. She turned to face the crowd in the grand hall, holding the Ancient's Sword above her. "I, Lexus Enthwar, accept this great responsibility, and I will honor my responsibilities. I will not let you down--any of you."

A cheer rose at her words, and she sighed in relief. She'd done it. She'd really--

_**RRRRMMBLRMMMMBL**_

A mighty wind blasted through the hall, its origin unknown. The crowd screamed as one and Elder Agekale moaned as she was blown back. Ombane caught her, holding the old woman protectively, as the gale howled. "The sword, Lexus!" a voice cried. Eolly's.

Lexus unsheathed the Ancient's Sword and held it up, the blade gleaming on the setting sun. In an instant the wind had quelled and silence fell across the land. Then a voice spoke, sounding as if it was not one, but two.

**Warrior who possesses the sword, thou art acknowledged by Our supreme wisdom.**

"What is this?" Lexus asked, then shielded her eyes as a bright light shone from the hole in the ceiling. "Dormin!" Elder Agekale cried, standing shakily and glaring at the light.

**We have returned from Our silence to bring a message; this land is doomed. Unless the sword-bearer can complete Our task.**

"Don't listen, Lexus! His words are poison!" Elder Agekale shouted. Lexus glanced back at her, then at the light again. "I am not swayed by you, Dormin the Deceiver. Begone from here."

**If We art to go, the land goes with Us. Already, the fell wind of the Colossus God strikes; thou have all felt it.**

"Fell wind?" Lexus repeated, looking to Elder Agekale. The old woman met her gaze and shook her head slightly. "We know from legend that you are the Colossus God, Dormin the Deceiver." Elder Agekale declared, stepping towards the light. The crowd turned their eyes from it to her. "If your wind is to destroy us, the sword-bearer will destroy you."

**We art a God, this is true. But We art not the Colossus God; that title remains with another. And the wind of the Colossus God will tear thine land apart if not quelled. Only the sword-bearer can defeat it.**

"All of the Colossi have no intent to destroy us. You lie." Ombane growled.

**Thou knows only of sixteen. There are more.**

"Impossible! Wander was informed by none other than you that only sixteen existed!" Lexus cried.

**We were incorrect. More are scattered in a land linked to this one by a bridge. The Bridge of Anguish. And this bridge lies in the misty pass.**

"You are asking me to send my daughter into that unholy place?" Ombane shouted. "This is an outrage! This is ridiculous! This is--"

**Thine only option.**

"Dormin, if I were to destroy the remaining Colossi, would our land be spared?" Lexus asked the light. There was silence, then They spoke again.

**Yes.**

"Could you tell me how many there are?" she pressed.

**No.**

"Why not?" Lexus huffed, crossing her arms.

**It is unclear to Us; We know of only seventeen. Whether there are more, that is for thee to discover.**

Lexus began to pace, aware that all eyes were on her. Finally, she turned to the light. "How do I know you are not lying?" she narrowed her eyes.

Silence overtook the shrine. Ombane let loose a bark of laughter. "See? Their lies are revealed--!"

**Turn and face Runtus, young sword-bearer.**

"Runtus?" Lexus repeated, raising an eyebrow. She then turned. "Oh...damn..."

In the field, between Valus Cliff and the Shrine of Worship, was a giant rat Colossus. Stone armor covered its jaws, the front of its head, its stomach, and its claws. Fur lined its back, its forehead, and its tail. And its blue eyes were focused on Lexus.

**

* * *

**

Chapter 1 of Part 2, complete! Read and review, please!


	34. Runtus, the Rat and A Steed Unlikely

**Part 2 continues with this next chapter. Remember, you can still submit custom colossi to be put into the story.**

**I own nothing but the People of the Colossi, the New-Age Colossi and the ghost of Erageo.**

**--------------**

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts_

**Chapter 2**

Runtus the Rat/A Steed Unlikely

There was silence. Runtus dragged its claws through the dirt, making deep gouges in the earth as it awaited Lexus' first move. "Father, what should I do?" she whispered, terrified. Ombane laid a hand on her shoulder. "You do nothing. Whether the Deceiver's words have any truth to them, I'll be damned if I let a stone brute murder my daughter." he replied. He then turned to the six armored guards, drawing his sword. "To arms!" he declared. The guards repeated the cry, drawing their own blades and charging at Runtus. Lexus was then whirled around to face Elder Agekale. The woman pressed something into Lexus' hands.

"Take this, Lexus! It's been in your family for generations!" she whispered fiercely. Lexus looked down, shocked; it was a pistol, exceedingly rare even in the present day. How did her ancestors make it?! "It can hold twelve shots." Elder Agekale said. "Your father is brave, but a fool; only you, with Ancient Blade in hand, can free our lands from the plague of the Colossi." Lexus stood still, then she heard a yell. Turning slowly, she saw one of the men get crushed under Runtus' massive clawed foot.

Another man threw a knife, causing it to connect with Runtus' leg. The Colossus howled, then slammed its tail onto the man. Lexus looked away at the gory mess with used to be a living human being. "You must go, Lexus! They will die without your assistance!" she nodded and raced down the steps. Suddenly her hand moved of her own accord, bringing two fingers to her mouth. And she whistled.

Lexus' head was swarmed with thoughts that weren't hers. She saw a massive minotaur, vision clouded by water and spiked with lightning, and then felt a pain in her chest that was not real. She fell to her knees, unable to see the ground as the images continued to flow through her mind.

**Breathe, female of the line. Thine tiny mind cannot handle two consciousnesses at once.**

Lexus took a deep breath, her shoulders shuddering, then she realized that Dormin had given her advice. And she had listened to Them! She shook her head fiercely, trying to expel Dormin's presence from her thoughts. This was interrupted by her hand moving again, this time to cup half of her mouth. "AGRO_RO_!" she shouted, her voice flanked by another. Why was this happening?! No villager was allowed to even look at the ancient horse, and she had just called for him!

Standing, she looked at the massacre which unfolded before her...then a nudge came at her shoulder. She glanced back to see Agro, and her legs gave way. The steed caught the back of her cloak in his teeth, hauling her back up. She'd just called Agro--and the horse had come! Making odd gestures, the horse neighed and lowered his head.

It took Lexus a minute to realize that Agro wanted her to get on. She mounted the mighty beast, held the Ancient's Sword high, and charged at Runtus.

Her father was the only one left standing. Ombane's leg had been crushed by the Colossus' claw; while on the ground, his ribcage had then been cracked open by Runtus' giant stone muzzle. As he lay in a puddle of blood, the holy man looked up...and saw Agro leap right over his head. As he lost consciousness, he raised his middle finger at Runtus.

"Leave my father alone!" Lexus screamed at the Colossus, beating her knees with her fists and breathing heavily. Ashamed by her tantrum, riding Agro no less, Lexus' anger could not be quelled--especially as Runtus swung its tail at her head. She squealed and ducked, then gnashed her teeth. "That does it!" the girl roared, raising her pistol.

_**BANG**_

_**!!!!!**_

Runtus swung its mighty head following the bullet's entry into its eye. Lexus then aimed at its fleshy ribcage. "This is for my father!" she declared, firing again. Black blood flowed from the bullethole, and Runtus' body went stiff before its tail dropped to the dirt. The Colossus then swung its head at Agro.

Lexus threw aside her sword and pistol, raising her hands to protect her face while knowing it was futile. Then she felt herself lifted up, and yelped. Agro bucked her off of his back, then promptly fell to the side. Both avoided the deadly blow, and Agro was back up in an instant. Pure excitement flowed from the ancient horse.

Meanwhile, Lexus cradled her sprained wrist. "Lexus! Stop being such a big baby!" she heard someone shout; probably Eolly. Then the ground shook, and she heard a chorus of screams. "LEXUS, LOOK OUT!" Elder Agekale cried out, and Agro whinnied before bolting towards the Shrine of Worship. More mighty thuds, then a colossal roar and the sun was blocked. Lexus glanced up to see a massive four-legged form hurtling at Runtus.

She screamed as one of the hooves came down towards her--then the hoof jerked to the side and away from her. Lexus was puzzled, then the same hoof jerked the other way and collided with her stomach. Lexus coughed as she was sent sailing back.

**Thou owes Quadratus thine life for saving thee, mortal.**

Lexus all but ignored Dormin's words as she saw the Bull Colossus collide with the Rat Colossus. The former roared in triumph as the latter went down. But then Runtus whipped its tail up and wrapped it around Quadratus' remaining horn. Both giants roared as Runtus used Quadratus to help pull itself up, then a strike across the head send Quadratus staggering back. Lexus stood, spotting her pistol and sword nearby. Racing to retrieve them, she didn't miss a beat as she approached Runtus.

Cocking the gun and firing, Runtus' tail hit the ground again. But this time, Lexus ran to the furry appendage and vaulted onto it, crawling up to Runtus' back. Spying a stone band covering her path, Lexus vaulted over it. The Rat Colossus didn't notice, facing off with the larger bull Colossus. But it did notice, however, when the Ancient Sword sank into its skull.

With a whine, Runtus reared and shook its head fiercely. Holding the head fur in an iron grip, Lexus drew her ink-black blade from the Colossus...and stabbed again. And again.

Runtus went down, sending Lexus flying once again. But as she staggered to her feet for the third time, she noticed Runtus wasn't unconscious. The Rat Colossus struggled to rise, its eyes red and blazing. Then the sky was blocked again, and Quadratus roared as Avion sailed overhead.

To Lexus' disbelief, a large object was released from Avion's claws and it streaked towards Runtus' head like a meteor. Upon contact, Runtus froze, then collapsed. The object rolled away from the Colossus...and sprang up onto four legs.

"No way..." Lexus whispered. For standing in front of her, huffing, was Celosia the Boar.

**I bet a lot of you now understand the title of this chapter. Read and review, please!**

**(P.S. The chapters will get longer somewhere between 4 and 6. Please allow me some time to get my feel back for the story, and then we can really begin.)**


	35. Not Enough Power

**The next installment of Dormin's Curse, featuring Lexus' decision to enter the misty path. I own nothing but the People of the Colossi, the Custom Colossi, Azgarot and the ghost of Erageo.**

**(Note: This chapter is also a celebration; I've created another custom colossus to be used! Armagedus the Armored Sand Reptile will be quite fun to write about, but first, let's focus on here and now.)**

**Chapter 3**

Not Enough Power

Celosia ran in circles around Quadratus, roaring at the larger colossus, as Lexus and Elder Agekale watch. "So it's true, isn't it?" Lexus said quietly. The ceiling shook as Avion landed on the Shrine of Worship. "I'm afraid so. Dormin the Deceiver is not lying this time." Elder Agekale replied, misty eyes on the deteriorating form of Runtus. Eolly was helping two other men to drag Ombane back to the Shrine of Worship; he'd have to be healed by Agekale if he was going to survive.

"So then I'll have to go into the misty path." Lexus told herself. She looked up at the light where Dormin's essence shone through. The god had been silent ever since Runtus had been slain, something that worried Lexus for a reason she couldn't figure out. "But Agro ran into the pass..."

It was true. Upon sight of Celosia, Agro had bolted for the misty pass and vanished within. Lexus tried to call for him, like before, but the second presence hadn't entered her body when she tried. She gave up and returned to the Shrine of Worship. "Someone has to go, Lexus, but it doesn't have to be you." Eolly called as he drew near. Elder Agekale shook her head slowly. "She is the wielder of the Ancient's Sword, and she swore an oath. It must be Lexus." she said.

"But you cannot fight the Colossi without a steed." Eolly shouted. "We should gather all of the horses and--"

His words were cut off as Celosia leaped over his head, barreling towards the Shrine. Lexus drew her sword and raced at Celosia, but the boar Colossus merely skidded to a halt and bowed its furry head. Lexus blinked. "I...I can't!" she exclaimed. "I can't ride a Colossus!"

"Why not? You rode Agro." Eolly muttered, as if he was jealous. He probably was. "A Colossus shouldn't be too much more difficult." "You don't understand!" Lexus stammered. "Colossi are evil, unholy brutes! To ride one would taint my blessed blood!" "That was true when Wander was alive, Lexus." Agekale said gently. "The Colossi have been purified; that is why Quadratus kicked you aside, instead of running over you."

Lexus stared at the ground, unable to decide. Finally, she looked up. "Okay. If Celosia will allow me to ride him...I will." she said. Celosia pawed the ground, then lay on its stomach. Lexus cautiously approached, blade at the ready, then she swung onto the Colossus' back. Immediately, the furry creature wheeled around and bolted for the misty pass.

Lexus was almost thrown off; Celosia bounced her around like a child's toy with its massive strength. It was all she could to to hold onto its back fur. She made it a point to beat up Eolly later; Agro was a tame little pony compared to Celosia! As the Colossus bounded into the misty path, Lexus was chilled to her bones. Then darkness closed around her. She glanced back, and saw nothing. The only sounds she could hear were Celosia's breathing, and the impact of its claws on the ground.

Then her breath was taken away. They emerged onto a massive bridge; it must've been five times bigger than Entry Passage! (The replacement bridge for the Fertile Lands.) The ground fell away into a deep abyss which must've stretched on for miles. If Lexus squinted at the end of the bridge, she could make out a dark haze. But the sky above was deep blue, and so was the bridge. Mist covered everything, and she could see nothing but the bridge and Celosia.

_Close your mouth, girl, you'll catch insects._

Lexus nearly fell off of the Colossus. Dormin? No, the voice was different. Huskier, deeper...closer... "Who said that?" she called, looking around.

_I'm right beneath you._

This time, Lexus DID fall off of Celosia. The Colossus spoke into her mind! Celosia skid to a stop and padded over to her, its blue eyes shining brightly. "You...you talk?" she stammered. Celosia grunted and tossed its head to the side.

_Of course I speak! I'm not some mindless beast, you know! And just so we're perfectly clear, if you EVER call me an 'evil, unholy brute' again, I'll run you through with my tusks._

"Right!" Lexus shouted, causing Celosia to take a step back as the sound echoed around them. "So...where are we?"

_The domain of the Colossus God, Origin._

"Origin." Lexus repeated. She grabbed one of Celosia's tusks and began to pull herself up, but the Colossus roared and whipped its head away.

_Do not use me as leverage, girl!_

"Sorry, sorry!" she apologized, climbing to her feet. Mounting Celosia again, they set out. The next few moments were spent in silence, the Boar Colossus padding beneath her as the dark haze drew nearer. Finally, they were upon it. A massive, evil-looking building loomed ahead. The stone was as black as the blood of a Colossus, and it seemed to reach the sky so far above.

As Celosia ran into the building, Lexus' eyes wandered around. There were massive stone idols, like there used to be at the Shrine of Worship. But she could only see about fifteen; the hall split into three others. Two led to more halls, the third led to the front of the building. Standing on a stone platform, looking out at the mist, was a boy about fifteen.

He had black hair that covered his eyes, a cloak that reached his knees (underneath the cloak he wore black pants) and large black boots. Rings covered his arms and fingers. As Celosia drew near to the boy, it growled and slowed down. Lexus swung off of the Colossus and approached him. "Excuse me, who are you?" she asked.

The boy turned and brushed hair from his eyes. Lexus froze in place. They were frighteningly blue, and seemed to pierce her very soul. "Doth thou not recognize a divine ruler?" the boy asked. He looked at his own body with disgust. "Alas, all of Our remaining power could only leave us with a mortal body. This is truly a worthless form."

"Dormin?!" Lexus shouted, gripping the Ancient's Sword. If Dormin had taken a frail phsycial form, she could simply strike him down! But Dormin saw this, and he raised a hand. Wind blew directly on the Ancient's Sword, keeping it inside the sheathe. Lexus was unable to draw it. "Do not think of Us as defenseless, mortal." Dormin said. "Because We do not have enough power to use our true form, do not think We will not strike thou down all the same."

"Well, you're not really Dormin if you don't have Dormin's body." Lexus snapped. "I'll call you Azgarot." "Azgarot?!" Dormin bellowed. "We shall not be renamed by a mortal GIRL!" and as he said this, the walls shuddered. "Look, Dormin, if the Colossus God tears apart the land, you'll go with it." Lexus declared. "And I will not help you if you are uncooperative!" Dormin's mortal body looked at the surrounding building, then at Lexus. It was clear that he loathed her greatly. But he finally sighed.

"Azgarot it is, puny mortal." he muttered. "Now then, thou must slay the Colossi if the fell wind is to be quelled. Runtus was the first of many foes." Lexus nodded. Celosia bounded to Azgarot, knocking him over as it raced to the edge of the platform. "Damnable beast!" Azgarot shouted. "Now then, about these Colossi..." Lexus began.

**Read and review, please.**


	36. No Way Back

**I own nothing but the New Colossi, the People of the Colossi, Azgarot and the ghost of Erageo.**

* * *

**Dormin's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thoughts/Celosia Speaking_

**Chapter 4**

No Way Back

"I need to send a message to my father, and Eolly." Lexus said, sitting on the rubble of Runtus' statue. She got a sense of danger from sitting on it, as if the stone might piece back together into the Colossus. Azgarot regarded her coldly. "There is no way to send a message to thine homeland." he snapped. Lexus stood and walked over to Azgarot. "That's not funny, Azgarot! I want to send my family a message!" she shot back. The mortal Colossus snorted. "We know thou art stupid. Art thou deaf as well?" he asked, amused. Lexus drew the Ancient's Sword and held it to Azgarot's neck. "NOW, AZGAROT!" she screamed.

_**SHING**_

_**CLATA-CLATA**_

Lexus sat down hard, the Ancient Sword flying to the side and hitting a fox-shaped idol. Azgarot had a sword in his hand; its blade gleamed wickedly in the blue atmosphere, and it was pure black. Purple flame occasionally sparked along the edges of the metal. Lexus was aware of Celosia growling fiercely and remembered that the Colossus feared flames. But that wasn't her problem. The problem was that Azgarot's demon blade was touching her neck.

And cutting into it, he was pressing so hard.

"Do not order Us around, she-mortal." Azgarot snarled, his blue eyes shining. Lexus fought the urge to shiver. "We have told thou that there is no way to contact thine...ugh...family. Do not make Us say it again. Thou art important, girl, not irreplaceable." and with that, Azgarot's blade vanished. "Thou made the choice to venture into the Land of Forgotten Memories. Thou shalt stay here until thine quest is completed." and the boy gestured to the halls. "Hundreds of halls lay within this temple, girl. Each hall holds four or more idols. Thou shalt destroy them all, one by one, or be forever trapped here."

"But that's not _fair_!" Lexus whined. She was stunned at the effect; Azgarot's hands flew to his ears and he frowned, showing pointed teeth. His metal armbands jingled. "Quit that noise!" he commanded. Lexus stood, then she got an idea. _Either it'll work and I can contact my family, or They'll erase me from the planet._ she thought. Either way, her life would be hell. She'd give it a shot.

Stomping her foot, Lexus opened her mouth. She refrained from smiling when she saw Azgarot step back. "Azgaro~t!" she complained. "I wanna contact my _family!!!_" "BE SILENT!" the boy roared. Wind whistled around Lexus, catching her hair and pulling her every direction. "But I need to let them know I'm safe!" Lexus continued, her voice perfectly high-pitched and whiney. The wind increased in intensity. "DO! NOT! SPEAK!" Azgarot barked, shoving her in the chest with his hand. Lexus flew down the hall, skidding across the floor. "I'll scream!" the girl warned. Azgarot's mortal face paled. "No--!" he whispered. Lexus opened her mouth.

_**!!!!!!!!!**_

"GYAAAAARGH!!" Azgarot wailed, dropping to his knees. He was breathing heavily. Lexus stood and began to walk over, when Azgarot held out his palm to her. "Very...well..." he panted. "We shalt grant thy wish...but do not make that sound again!" and with that, he slapped the stone floor. Immediately, the rocky substance rippled, then softened into a pool. Lexus looked into it and saw Ombane on the altar of the Shrine of Worship. "Father!" she cried.

"Lexus." Ombane managed weakly. He stretched an arm above him, then it fell limp. Eolly sprang into view. "Oh no, oh no, oh no!" he whispered. "Elder Agekale, we need--" then he fell silent as he saw Lexus. "Oh my Gods! You're alive!" he cheered. "I'm fine, Eolly, I'm here with Azgarot." she replied. Azgarot spat at her. "I mean Dormin."

"Be careful! The deceiver will trick you any way he can, just like in the legends!" Eolly declared. "I know that, Eolly, but be quiet! He's right next to me..." Lexus whispered urgently. "Now, I want you to tell my father--"

The connection was severed as Azgarot drove his blade into the pool; it reformed to stone, and Lexus stomped her foot. "Hey, I wasn't done!" she cried. Azgarot growled. "Yes, thou were. Thou art here to complete Our task, not to chat with thine allies!" "Friends!" Lexus corrected. Azgarot threw up his hands in agitation. "Fine! Friends!" he bellowed. "Complete Our task, or we shalt--" "Smite me?" Lexus suggested smugly.

This was clearly too much for Azgarot. He turned on his heel and stalked down a hall. "We shalt be back in one hour." he called over his shoulder. "Be prepared to train." And as he left, Lexus had a small smile on her face. She'd gotten a weapon to use against Dormin, more powerful than any blade.

* * *

When Azgarot returned, he found Lexus in a fighting stance, facing Celosia. Amused, he hid behind an enormous idol of some unknown creature. "Alright, Celosia, no holding back!" Lexus panted, drenched in sweat.

_If I do not hold back, I will impale you._

"Oh, well then, just go easy." Lexus corrected herself, charging with the sword. Celosia stuck out its claw and batted the weapon out of her hands, then butted its head into her chest and sent her sprawling.

_The Wanderer was a much better swordsman._

"I wasn't made for combat, you know!" Lexus snapped, retrieving her weapon and resuming her stance.

_Neither was he._

"Stop." Azgarot commanded, stepping out from his hiding place. He smiled at the startled look on Lexus' face. "Thine stance is wrong, mortal fool." and with that, he kicked her shin. Lexus yelped and moved her leg away from Azgarot, spreading her stance in the process. "Now swing." Azgarot said. Lexus blinked, then swung. And swung again. "It doesn't feel any different." she said. "Try again." he sighed, sitting near one of the idols. Lexus charged Celosia, who braced itself, but then a change entered her blood.

She felt very warm, like her whole body was radiating heat. Her vision cleared, and she could see through the mist for several yards farther than usual. _It must be the warrior's blood of my family._ she thought. Celosia swung its head at her, but she ducked and slapped the flat of her blade onto its eye. It backed up.

_Gods, immortals be damned!_

Celosia's cry pounded into her mind as the Colossus winced. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Lexus shouted, racing at the Colossus. Celosia was her only companion in this isolated land, she had to be nice to it. "I'm so sorry, Celosia!"

_Not as sorry as I am._

But Celosia allowed its head to be rubbed by Lexus. Azgarot gagged. "What a worthless display of affection." he muttered. "Now continue your training." and so Lexus did, for the next three hours, she sparred with Celosia. Finally, the Colossus was reduced to a panting pile of fur.

_Even Colossi don't have unlimited strength, girl. I need a rest._

"Right." Lexus nodded. She heard the sound of metal on stone and turned to see Azgarot sharpening his black blade on an idol. "Azgarot, do you want to spar?" she asked. Azgarot looked at her, surprised, then he chuckled. "Thou would not last an instant with Us." "So you're afraid?" Lexus taunted.

Azgarot's eyes flashed amber, and he stepped forward. He then took a stance, facing Lexus with his body turned at an angle and his feet wide apart. He held the black sword aloft. "Come, mortal. Let Us see how that holy blade protects thee." he snarled. Lexus barreled forward, raising the Ancient's Sword, and brought it down on Azgarot's head. The god parried with his own sword and grabbed her arm, twisting it. Lexus yelped in pain and dropped her sword.

"Pitiful." Azgarot commented. Lexus seized the ancient blade and sliced at the boy, but he merely parried and pushed her chest, sending her sprawling. "How pathetic. Thine ancestors would be ashamed." he added. Lexus grinded her teeth; why wasn't her warrior blood reacting to the battle? Again she charged at Azgarot; the boy sidestepped and kicked her legs out from under her. "We have been conscious for millennia, she-mortal." Azgarot said calmly. "There are no sword techniques that We do not know."

"How about this?!" Lexus cried, drawing her pistol and firing at Azgarot. The Colossus' eyes widened and he fell back as the bullet entered his shoulder. "C-cheat!" he coughed, holding the wound. "Thine ancestors--" "I do not care about my ancestors!" Lexus screamed. "Everyone has been comparing me to Wander, and my ancestors, and I've had JUST ABOUT ENOUGH!!" the ceiling shook.

"I don't give a damn about what you think of me! I shouldn't even be doing this stupid quest!" she ranted at Azgarot, who was watching her the same way she would watch a large spider. Infuriated, Lexus threw down her sword and stomped away. "I don't want to do this anymore!" she shouted over her shoulder, disappearing down the hall. Azgarot was silent for a long time, then he stood and his blade vanished. A growl caused him to turn to Celosia.

_Mortals are simple-minded, Dormin, but upsetting your warrior isn't the best way to achieve your goals._

"Do not lecture Us, thou pile of discarded fur!" Azgarot shot back. Celosia snarled and raced down the hall after Lexus. Azgarot was left alone.

* * *

Lexus sat at the end of the bridge nearest to the temple, tossing stones over the edge. Celosia lay next to her, resting from the intense sparring. Hearing footsteps, Lexus turned to see Azgarot slowly approaching. He had a look of pain on his face as he carried the Ancient's Sword. "We believe this belongs to thee." he managed, trying to hand it to Lexus. She turned away from him, and heard the Colossus make a strangled sound in his throat.

"Take it from Us. The blade burns Our mortal body." Azgarot said, offering her the sword again. "Thou must have it if thou art to slay the Colossi--" "I told you, I'm not doing that." Lexus said quietly. Azgarot dropped the sword and shook his hand; the skin was scorched black. "Mortals are so irritating." he muttered. Lexus looked at him, tears in her eyes. Azgarot was dumbfounded; he knew that the girl was upset, but what had he done to make her cry?

"Stop crying." he commanded. "Thou art here to slay the Colossi, not depress Us." and Azgarot was very startled when Lexus threw her arms around him, sobbing. "I'm here, all alone, with Celosia and YOU of all people!" she cried. "We do not--" "And there's no way to get back! You won't even let me contact my family, they could think I'm DEAD!" "Now wait just a--" "And I'm SCARED, I want to go HOOOME!" she wailed. Azgarot grimaced as the girl slowly soaked the front of his cloak with her tears.

"That is enough." Azgarot snarled. Lexus looked up at him. "Thou art a warrior; act like it! Thou would not have received the ancient blade if it did not accept thee. And only the greatest warriors can successfully wield it." "Azgarot, are you trying to cheer me up?" Lexus sniffled. The boy looked like the very thought would make him vomit, but he swallowed. "Whatever it takes to get thee to stop crying." he muttered.

"Thanks." Lexus murmured, wiping her eyes on Azgarot's cloak. The boy rolled his eyes in disgust, pushing her away. "Thou must begin hunting the Colossi NOW, if thine land is to be saved. First, thou shalt battle..."

**Read and review, please.**


	37. Cancer, the King Crab

**I own nothing but the new Colossi, the People of the Colossi, Azgarot and the ghost of Erageo.**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking/Celosia Speaking_

**Chapter 5**

Cancer, the King Crab

As Lexus exited the temple on Celosia, the mist began to clear. She gasped at the beautiful sight

which became clear to her; the Forgotten Temple sat on a massive cliff, overlooking lush valleys,

massive lakes, and even an ocean. "Wow..." she murmured. Raising her sword to the light, it

pointed at a spot just below the enormous cliff. "We're going down, Celosia!" she announced.

_I'm so happy._

Lexus smiled as the Colossus bounded down the grassy trail which led to the Land of Forgotten

Memories. For a while they rode in silence, and Lexus marveled at the sights. The ocean sparkled

in the distance, and Lexus felt a sudden urge to swim. But she couldn't; there was work to be

done. She thought back to Azgarot's words, which were supposed to serve as a clue.

**Thy next foe is...taken from its ocean home...four legs move only to the side...it is a ferocious opponent...**

"Celosia, do you have any idea what it could be?" she asked the Colossus. Celosia grunted.

_I do not know of my cousins. From the sound of it, it is an aquatic creature which walks on four legs. That is all I can determine._

Lexus racked her brain, but couldn't think of anything. Then they were at the bottom of the cliff.

Following the sword's light, Lexus and Celosia were led to the mouth of a cave. "It doesn't look

like you can fit, Celosia." she murmured. The Colossus examined the cave mouth.

_Obviously. You'll have to continue alone._

"I'm already alone enough!" Lexus said. "Maybe we can find another way around-"

_There are never two ways to a Colossus, girl. I shall wait out here._

Lexus' lip trembled as she dismounted. With a final glance back at Celosia, she entered the dark

cave. Her heavy breathing echoed on the rough stone, sending chills down her spine. She

occasionally looked behind her, reassuring herself that Celosia hadn't left. It was all she could

manage not to race back to the Colossus and bury her head in his fur. But as much as Lexus

wanted to, she had the feeling that Celosia wouldn't appreciate his fur getting wet.

Eventually, a light shone at the end of the tunnel. When Lexus stepped through, she was in a

massive cavern. Four holes in the ceiling let light illuminate the rocky room. Spires covered the

ground, spiraling to the ceiling. And moving between them was a monstrous creature, made of

rock and fur.

It was a crab. Massive and menacing, it shuffled silently to the side as its blue eyes pierced

Lexus' soul. Massive stone claws with ropes dangling from the joints snapped open and shut

simultaneously, and its legs were covered with fur. Two of its legs had rocky rings around them,

making them impossible to climb past the joint, and the crab had a massive stone muzzle just like

Runtus. Fur covered its head, and there was a set of rungs leading from its rear-right leg to its

head.

"Oh...my...god..." Lexus breathed. She couldn't fight that titan! But Azgarot's voice floated into her

mind.

**Afraid, maiden? Run if thou wishes, but thou shalt doom the land.**

"Stay out of my head!" Lexus screamed. The Crab Colossus halted and stared at her. She gulped;

it may have been smaller than Quadratus, but it was bigger than Runtus!

**Cancer must not move if thou art to slay it.**

"Cancer. Funny." Lexus muttered, realizing that the Colossus had been named after the

constellation. She crossed her arms. "Well I don't care what it's called, I can't fight that." Cancer

seemed to agree; it was completely ignoring her. That irritated her, but not enough for her to throw

her life away. Suddenly, Cancer tensed. A massive wind, stronger than any she'd ever felt,

pounded into her and knocked her several feet forward.

"AZGAROT!" she screamed in fury.

**That was the work of the Colossus God. Thou must hurry.**

"Fine, goddammit!" Lexus roared, charging at Cancer. The Colossus stuck out a leg and nearly

stepped on her, crushing the ground where she had just been. Lexus was already panting; how

had Wander done this? Suddenly, Lexus saw a golden opportunity; there was a portion of

Cancer's arm which was furry and fragile-looking. Grinning, she raised her pistol and fired.

Missing completely, and hitting Cancer in the eye.

The Crab Colossus bellowed and thrust one of its claws at her. Lexus dove out of the way as the

appendage collided with the rock floor, cracking it. Raising the pistol again, she took more careful

aim and fired. This one hit her target, and Cancer whined before its arms fell limp. Lexus raced at

one of the ropes dangling from its claws and leaped, grasping the rope just as Cancer began to

retract its arms.

Lexus crawled towards the Colossus' torso as fast as she could. Cancer did not like her presence

on its arm, and began to swing the appendage. "WHY DID I AGREE TO THIS?" she screamed.

As the Crab Colossus' movements ceased so it could regain its breath, Lexus sprinted up the rest

of the way and arrived at a series of ledges which ran from its arm to its forehead. She lunged and

grabbed one of them, pulling herself to the next as Cancer resumed walking.

Her chest heaving, Lexus reached the top of the Colossus and tried to refill her lungs. "Holy fucking

mother of Christ in heaven..." she wheezed.

**Thou art not done yet, maiden.**

"Shut your...fucking...mouth..." the girl gasped, her stomach lurching as she noticed how high up she

was. Cancer seemed to be unconcerned by her presence. Lexus stood, then nearly toppled as the

mighty giant took another step. "I'm gonna be sick..." she announced. Cancer moaned.

Then Lexus made her way over to the crown of the Colossus' head, held up her sword, then stabbed

it into Cancer's flesh. The titan whined as she thrust it up to the hilt, then twisted the blade. Cancer

froze, then with a groan, its legs gave out. The beast fell with a rumble and a quake, and Lexus tumbled

off, unconscious. A white orb rose from the diminishing creature, lowering itself into Lexus' body.

Everything went cold.

**Sorry about the long wait, hope this chapter was at least satisfactory. I was trying to convey the**

**message that the Colossi of Spirit (my custom Colossi) are different from the Colossi of Sealing.**

**While the Colossi of Sealing emitted piercing black tendrils upon death, the Colossi of Spirits give off**

**a white, shining orb. Why did I do this? Because it'd be fun. Not to mention a plot point later.**


	38. Alone and Ciarog, the Beetle

**Again, sorry for the short chapter last time and for the long waiting time. This chapter will hopefully make up for it. I own nothing but the Colossi of Spirits, Azgarot, the People of the Colossi and the ghost of Erageo.**

**Edit: I got a Mac recently after my old main computer stopped working. I'm sorry this chapter is coming so late, and it may not be as long as I'd like, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

* * *

**

**Azgarot's Speech**

_**Sound Effects**_

_Thinking\Celosia's Speech_

**Chapter 6**

Alone with a God and a Ghost

Ciarog the Beetle

Lexus' eyes opened. She found herself in the main hall of the Forgotten Temple, Azgarot standing over her. The Colossus was gazing at her emotionlessly as the girl pulled herself to her feet. "Welcome back, mai-" Azgarot began.

_**SLAP**_

"Geh-!" the mortal Colossus cried out, staggering back and holding the red mark on his cheek. He glared at Lexus, who had her hands on her hips. "Was that a fucking joke?" she shouted. "What art thou babbling about, halfwit human?" Azgarot demanded. "We should strike thou down right now-" "I CANNOT fight even three of those motherfucking titans!" Lexus exclaimed, stamping her foot onto the ground. "You are going to TAKE ME HOME and then YOU can kill these things!" "No, We cannot!" Azgarot shot back. "Both of thine demands are impossible!" "Impossible my foot!"

"Fine! Thou shalt see for thineself!" Azgarot ground his teeth. "Go to the bridge and cross back into thine land. We will welcome the end of thine life." "You're made of bullshit! I'm out of here!" the maiden replied. "Celosia!"

_Stop shouting, damn you._

The boar Colossus made his way into the hall, stopping next to Lexus. She mounted him, stuck her tongue out at Azgarot, and then was speeding down the path to the bridge. Azgarot sighed, then rubbed his cheek again. "Damned female..."

"Can you believe that fucker?" Lexus seethed as Celosia slowly made his way down the misty path.

_Yes, I was charged with sealing him for several centuries. Did you forget?_

"Sorry. I've only had to put up with him for a few days, but you were forced to do it for years and years, huh?" Lexus apologized. Celosia grunted in reply, and they made their way in silence for a bit. Unable to see anything, Lexus contented herself with listening to Celosia's breathing. Then the Colossus grunted. "What's wrong?" Lexus asked.

_The bridge is not here._

"What?" Lexus exclaimed. She slid off of Celosia and ran forward, squinting through the fog. She could see the stone path end abruptly, fading into nothing. "No...no...no, no, no NO!" the girl screamed, falling to her knees and punching the road. Her knuckles split and bled, the liquid flying everywhere as Celosia snarled. Then she felt herself turned around, and an impact across her jaw sent her sprawling. Lexus saw stars as she was yanked back to her feet, then punched in the gut.

"Ah-aaaah..." the girl moaned as she held her stomach, keeled over on the ground. A figure knelt next to her. "Thou needed that." it said.

"A-Azgarot?" Lexus replied weakly. "Correct. Thine duty is to defeat the Colossi, and thou cannot do that if thou doth not listen to Us." Azgarot explained. The girl winced. "If my knuckles weren't-aghhh-broken, I'd kill you..." Lexus groaned. Azgarot lifted her and threw her over his shoulder, then began to walk back to the shrine. "Art thou coming, mutt?" Azgarot asked Celosia.

_Don't push it.

* * *

_

When Lexus came to, she was alone in the main hall. The pain in her knuckles, jaw and stomach came back in a rush, and she whimpered before painfully sitting up. Her hands had been bandaged-presumably by Azgarot-and her sword was next to her.

_Are all mortals that idiotic?_

"Celosia?" Lexus called. The boar came from the direction of Cancer's statue, his eyes red and angry. "Are you okay?

_I am fine, but Dormin tells me that your hands are too badly damaged to hold a sword for several days. We are delayed in our mission to kill the Colossus God. You did more damage to yourself than my aquatic brother!_

"I'm sorry, Celosia." Lexus said sincerely, reaching for the Colossus. She recoiled when Celosia roared.

_You will not touch me until you show more common sense._

**Well said.**

"AZGAROT!" Lexus bellowed, struggling to her feet. Unlike Celosia, the boy did not appear. Lexus' eyes scanned the hall, then she stormed to her sword and picked it up. She then yelled in pain and dropped it; her knuckles felt like they were on fire.

**Thou doth not learn.**

_Learn when to stop, girl._

"Celosia, are you insulting me?" Lexus asked, tears springing to her eyes. Celosia snorted, then barreled out of the temple. Lexus was alone again. "Why me? Why did this happen to me?" she sniffed, dropping to her knees and then laying on the stone floor.

"What a question." came a voice. Immediately, Lexus was on her feet again. Turning, she found herself face-to-face with a twelve-year-old boy. "How the hell did you get here? Who the hell are you?" Lexus demanded. The boy brushed back his brown hair to reveal...horns.

Lexus staggered back, collapsing against an idol. The Horned Child smiled and stepped towards the maiden. "Oh, don't be afraid. I'm not an enemy." "Then what the hell are you? You have horns!" she screamed. The Horned Child shook his head with a wry smile. "You having trouble with Dormi-oh, I'm sorry. His name is Azgarot now, right?"

"You know about Dormin? Are you from my homeland?" the girl queried. "I don't see where else you could've come from..." "No, no, I'm from another world entirely." the Horned Child replied. Lexus blinked. "Bullshit." "Actually it's true. I'm from the land of the deceased." "Prove it!" the girl hisses. The Horned Child grasped his head and yanked it straight off of his head.

"Thou dares to show thineself here?" Azgarot shouted from the end of the hall. The Horned Child turned, his head smiling. "I'm Erageo, Wander reicnarnated." he replied. "I have every right to be here, Dormin." "Get out!" the mortal Colossus demanded.

"Lexus, this is happening because you have hero blood in your veins. You are genetically bound to the ways of the sword." Erageo said, ignoring Azgarot. "Bound to the sword? You're full of shit!" Lexus growled. Erageo replaced his head, then walked to the Ancient's Sword and picked it up. Azgarot's mouth fell open.

"You are like me, Lexus. Besides the obvious, of course." the ghost child explained, tossing the Sword to Lexus. She caught it, then her eyes widened. Upon contact with the blade originally, she felt pain. Now, however, her fingers seemed stronger. She undid the bandages and found the wounds had healed completely. "The power of the sword is yours to command, Lexus." Erageo said. He turned to Azgarot. "Dormin, I wish a favor. Attack Lexus with your blade, and if she fails to defend herself, kill her." he said. "Gladly." Azgarot snarled, his black blade appearing in his hand.

"W-Wait!" Lexus cried out. "Begin." the ghost boy said calmly. Immediately Azgarot lunged forward, his blade against his side as he charged. Lexus squeaked and staggered out of the way as the mortal Colossus whistled by. "Azgarot, I'm sorry I hit you! Don't kill me!" the girl cried out. Azgarot halted, turned on his heel and held his sword aloft as he stalked towards her. "Defend thineself, mortal fool!" the Colossus roared, swinging at Lexus. She ducked, landing on her ass, and backpedaled into the beetle statue. "S-Stop!" Lexus wailed.

"Kill her, Dormin." Erageo boomed. Azgarot raised his blade above his head, planting himself directly in front of Lexus. "Our name is Dormin." he hissed, bringing the sword down. Lexus yelled and swung her own blade.

_**CK-SHHHHK**_

"...well, now." Erageo mused with a laugh. Azgarot's blade collided with the Ancient Sword, forming a perfect plus. Lexus blinked, then lashed out her foot.

_**THUMP**_

Azgarot grunted, then doubled over. "Damn mortal body...!" he growled. Erageo started to laugh. Lexus jumped to her feet, stepped over and stepped on the boy's foot. Hard. Erageo laughed even harder as Azgarot staggered back, clutching his foot. Lexus' next kick collided with the God's shin, provoking more laughter from the ghost child. "Oh Dormin, to see you getting your ass handed to you by a woman-!" he chuckled. Azgarot clenched his teeth and swung the Cursed Blade, but Lexus blocked with the Ancient's Sword and nailed him in the gut. "Son of a heathen!" Azgarot cried out, falling over. "I understand why you beat me up, Azgarot." Lexus said. "I did need it."

"Splendid! My work here is done." Erageo smiled. "We'll be in touch." and with that, he was gone.

"Erageo?" Lexus called, looking around. "The ghost is gone, maiden." Azgarot growled, getting to his feet. "Thou must now battle the Colossi, due to thine magical recovery." "Fine, where is the next one?"

Azgarot stood, his Cursed Blade vanishing. "Thy next foe is...under a lake lies a beast...it has no room for mercy...more brawn than it is brain..."

"Got it, thanks." Lexus said appreciatively. "Celosia?"

_No. Defeat this one without my help, and I shall assist you once again._

"Alright. Here I go." Lexus smiled, sheathing the Ancient's Sword. She turned and walked out into the sunlight.

* * *

"Goddammit, I'm lost." Lexus said with a sigh, not five minutes later. She looked back at the Temple of Spirits, resting on the cliff above. "Where is this thing? Something something lake, something something mercy...damn!"

As the girl looked out at the wide fields, she saw a single bird circling what appeared to be a hole the size of Celosia. A pause, then Lexus began to sprint at the bird, pulling out her pistol. "Food! Food!" she cried joyously.

_**BANG**_

_"Dammit!"_ Lexus screamed as the bird seemed to twist away from the bullet. "How the hell did it do that?"

_**BANG**_

"Damn!"

_**BANG**_

"Son of a BITCH!"

_**BANG-BANG**_

"Motherfucker, hold still!"

_**BANG-BANGBANG**_

"What the shit?"

_**BANGBANGBANGBANG**_

"GOD DAMN YOU!" the girl yelled, throwing her pistol onto the ground. The bird soared in her direction, then plummeted straight at her. Lexus screamed and ducked as the hawk dropped something onto her. "What the...no way..." she whispered. The hawk had caught her bullets, then dropped them on her.

"What ARE you?" she demanded as the bird screeched, flapping its wings before sailing away. Muttering curses, and hearing faint laughter in the back of her head, she began walking through the fields while glancing around. Hell, she'd eat a LIZARD if she had to! She bent down and picked up her pistol, then walked to the hole which the bird had been circling over. It was a lot bigger, and a lot deeper, than she would've thought.

Lexus slid down into the hole, finding herself in a dank tunnel. "Ugh, it smells like shit!" she muttered, holding her arm in front of her nose. She then saw a pair of skeletons lying against the wall. After staring at them for a minute, she dashed by. "I'll assume this is the lair of the Colossus."

After many dead ends and wrong turns, she entered a chamber with a very high ceiling. It had three rock pillars set in a half-circle around a large object, and a metal plate off to the side. Lexus slowly walked forward, examining the object. It looked like a huge beetle, maybe Celosia's size. "Oh shit..." she muttered.

The beetle shook itself, dust falling from its stone horn and back armor in sheets. Its stone legs clicked against the floor as it glanced around, then its blue eyes set themselves on Lexus. It charged.

Lexus dove out of the way and the Colossus skidded to a halt, turned around, and charged again. This time, Lexus ran.

**What art thou doing?**

"RUNNING AWAY!" she screamed at the voice of Azgarot in her head.

**Ciarog's anger may be to your advantage.**

"How? There's no fur on that thing!" Lexus cried, hiding behind one of the rock pillars. There was silence for a moment, then Ciarog came into view on the opposite side of the room. It turned to her, tensed, then charged.

_Move!_

Lexus jumped away and Ciarog collided with the pillar.

_**GYA-RAAAAAAA**_

Lexus winced as Ciarog's loud bellow filled the cavern. The rock pillar collapsed on top of Ciarog, who slowly backed up. A crack had appeared in its back armor, and seeing this, Lexus grinned. "So THAT'S it." she murmured, racing to another pillar. Ciarog turned, then hurtled at Lexus with twice its usual speed. She ducked this time, and Ciarog went right over her, smashing into the pillar. As Lexus crawled out from under it, the beetle Colossus whined and pulled its body free of the rocks. A section of its armor fell off.

"One left!" she muttered to herself, clutching at her side. Ciarog turned, its eyes blazing, and bellowed before racing forward. Lexus quickly flattened herself and the Colossus barreled over her, smashing into the final rock pillar. This time the Colossus collapsed under the sheer weight of the stone. Lexus panted, hands on her knees as she tried to regain her breath. "Did I kill it?" she wondered aloud.

**No.**

There was a sound of shifting stone, then Ciarog slowly rose from the rubble. The armor on its back was gone, revealing bristling fur which stood on end. The beetle colossus slowly turned, panting, and saw her. It then roared.

"What do I do now?" Lexus demanded of Dormin as she rolled away from Ciarog's charge. It turned in mid-step and charged again. Lexus frantically looked around the cave, then her eyes settled on the large metal plate. "Ciarog!" she called after evading the beetle colossus again. It roared as it skidded to a halt, then whirled around and ran for her again. Lexus ran at the metal plate, then dove out of the way as the Colossus collided with it.

_THWAAAANG_

Ciarog let out a whine and collapsed. Lexus ran for it and jumped, coming down with her sword being driven into the colossus' back. Ciarog roared in pain as she twisted the blade, then it fell silent. There was an impact, then Lexus fell unconscious.

**Read and review.**


	39. Carnibel, the Bear

**Onto the next chapter. First, an apology. My computer contracted another virus which led to me wiping it clean, and my efforts have been spent to restoring it since then. To make up for it, I will try to make this chapter as long as I can.**

**I AM still accepting custom Colossi, in case anyone thought up an idea in my absence.**

**I own nothing except for Lexus, Azgarot, the Colossi of Sealing and the Ghost of Erageo.**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Carnibel, the Bear

_Memories that weren't hers flitted through Lexus' mind._

_Basaran, made of stone instead of flesh and bone like the current day._

_Darbus, striking a stone structure with such force that the earth itself quaked._

_And a massive bipedal figure, silhouetted against the lightning bolts of a storm that howled with its displeasure. It took a moment for Lexus to place this as Malus; she wondered why._

_The images were fuzzy; the more Lexus focused, the more they faded from her. A boy with a sword at his side and his face wrapped in shadow extended a hand to her, but as she reached to take it, a massive black claw grabbed her from behind and pulled her away._

The crumbling of Ciarog's idol woke Lexus. She blinked, the images of her 'memories' fading fast. Soon, she lost all recollection of them.

Deep breathing caused her to glance to the side, and she found Celosia curled up and alseep next to her. Smiling slightly, she rose to her knees. The young heiress to the warrior's blood let her eyes fall across the idols of the fallen; Runtus, Cancer and Ciarog.

"So thou doth awaken."

Lexus turned to Azgarot as They approached, Their sandals clacking against the ancient stone flooring. She nodded, standing. They stopped in front of the girl. "And thine thoughts?"

"I apologize for the immature way I've been acting, Azgarot." Lexus said. "This is a job that clearly only I can do, yet I wished to leave it to someone else and go home. That isn't what a warrior should do."

"Now thou art talking sense." Azgarot murmured. "Perhaps We can make use of thou yet."

A beastly yawn came from behind the pair, and Lexus turned to see Celosia rise to his feet. He shook off the light layer of dust that had collected on his fur, then turned to her. His electric blue eyes passed between them once.

_I am to assume that it has been resolved?_

"Quick to wake, and to catch on. For a mutt, that is." Azgarot replied. "Aye, the maiden hath realized her purpose. We should have no further problems."

_Thrilling. We do not have long; the Colossus God stirs._

"Azgarot, where is the next Colossus located?" Lexus asked, placing a hand on Celosia's bulk. Azgarot cleared Their throat.

"Thy next foe is...prowling within the shade of the forest...a natural predator stalks at the cliffside...terrible anger accompanies great strength..."

"I understand." Lexus said, vaulting onto Celosia. The Colossus grunted, then charged out of the Forgotten Temple's gate, leaving Azgarot alone. The Colossus watched as they left, tilting Their head slightly.

"How nostalgic..."

* * *

_Your personality has taken a complete one-eighty._

Lexus blinked at the sudden remark from the Colossus padding beneath her. The maiden thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"I told him how I felt back in the temple; even if he is the Deceiver who tricked my ancestors, he is putting faith on us to save this place and I was wrong to shove that away."

_Don't become too subservient, however. Despite your irritating mortal flaws, you were somewhat interesting._

"I'll stay interesting just for you." Lexus promised with a smile, holding her sword to the light. Their journey took them across the plains, past the cave where Cancer's remains undoubtedly still lay, and into a dense forest. The trees were so tightly packed together that Celosia slowed his speed to make sure they didn't hit anything.

After travelling for an hour, Lexus noticed that the light was too dim to guide her way. "Celosia, can you...I don't know...smell the Colossus, or something?" she asked.

_Impossible; these new Colossi confound the senses, we would be even more lost than before if I did such a thing._

"Oh..."

_Lose no heart. Surely, we are close._

No sooner had Celosia said that then they stopped. A sharp incline lead down into a small valley, with high cliffs surrounding it. It was roughly the size of Cancer's cave - which did not ease Lexus' suspicions about the size of this beast. Celosia padded down into the valley as Lexus gripped her sword.

After a minute's walking they reached the bottom. The forest was high above; the trees here were fewer and more distant between.

"Is it here, Celosia?" Lexus asked.

_It must be. The stench is overwhelming._

Lexus dismounted, drawing her pistol as she moved forward. Her eyes scanned the surroundings until they fell on a large abnormal shape leaning on a thick tree.

It was a bear; encased in stone apart from its back, the nine-foot-tall beast slumbered peacefully. Until Lexus stepped on a twig, snapping it and alerting the Colossus.

With a roar it awoke, pausing for a moment before shifting itself to its back feet. Celosia snarled as the bear Colossus moved towards Lexus.

"Okay, it's a lot smaller than the others. Easy, right?" Lexus asked, glancing at Celosia. In that instant, the Colossus charged at her with a speed that she didn't know it possessed.

_**FRRRSSHH**_

The swordswoman fell back as the Colossus ripped through her cloak with its stone claws. She felt it pierce her skin and draw blood. The silhouette of the great beast towered over her as it raised its arm again.

_Maiden!_

Celosia jumped into her view, ramming the bear and toppling it. The two snarled as they clashed, then the hostile Colossus picked Celosia up and flung him into a tree. The Colossus of Sealing whimpered as it collided with the plant, causing it to crash to the earth. With another bellow the bear followed him.

"Azgarot, are you there? What do I do?" Lexus asked, wincing as her hand went to her side. That would need treatment...

**No elements of nature shall stagger Carnibel; rely on thine mortal ingenuity to prevail.**

"My what?" Lexus shouted, drawing the bear Colossus - Carnibel's - attention away from Celosia. It bounded after her. Remembering Ciarog, Lexus dodged to the side and the Colossus rushed past her. She ran to Celosia, who was slowly regaining his footing.

_It is stronger than me. If we fight toe-to-toe with my new, fleshier body, I will not win._

"I just need you to buy me some time! Azgarot's being cryptic!"

_You state that as if surprised. Very well, I will attempt to divert Carnibel's attention. I can promise no more than one minute._

"That's enough! I owe you!" Lexus said with a smile as Celosia charged, catching Carnibel in the back; the two fell to the ground, roaring and clawing at each other.

Lexus racked her brains; Azgarot had said something about mortal ingenuity, but she had no clue what that was supposed to mean. Perhaps something in the past...

Her thoughts went to her 'duel' with the God, as if guided by a mental guardian. How she had been overpowered and outmatched by the ancient being. How she had pulled the gun and shot Them in the shoulder, leading to her victory.

Mortal ingenuity...

"My gun? Damn it, Azgarot!"

She reached for her gun, then remembered she had it drawn when she encountered Carnibel. She must have dropped it when the beast assaulted her.

_Maiden, be quick!_

Celosia's pained shout pierced her mind as he sliced at Carnibel. The Colossus of Spirit fell back, snarling, before striking the boar in the torso and toppling him.

"Just a minute!" Lexus cried, frantically searching the tall grass for her weapon. A glint caught her eye, and she seized the pistol from the plants. She shakily pointed it at Carnibel as it bore down upon a thrashing Celosia. _Where do I aim?_

The answer came to her, just as strange as her 'memories'. A pale, weak light shone from the backs of Carnibel's claws. She took aim and fired.

The shot rang in the forest air, then thumped as it pierced flesh that she hadn't seen at first. Carnibel wailed and dropped onto all fours, snarling at her. She aimed, fired; another claw pierced. The Colossus bent double, howling.

And she raced to it, bent her knees, and vaulted onto its back. She lifted the Ancient's Sword high and brought it down, hard.

Just as the previous Colossi had, Carnibel gave an unearthly shriek when pierced. Unlike the others, however, it stayed on its feet; more than that, it began to run.

Lexus bounced up and down on the broad back of the Colossus as it ran, smashing itself into trees in an attempt to shake her. She noticed Celosia coming up from the rear, panting and snarling at Carnibel. She gripped Carnibel's fur tightly, wrenched her sword free of its body, and pierced it again.

Blood flew into her face, momentarily blinding her as Carnibel wailed. It lost its footing, tripping over itself and falling with great force. Lexus was flung from its back, rolling into a tree as the Ancient's Sword was sent into the dense grasses.

"Shit, shit, shit!" she muttered angrily as she eased to her knees, wincing from the pain; she'd cracked at least a rib from the impact, and added to the slash wounds from earlier she was having difficulty standing. Carnibel also strugged slowly to its feet, red eyes leering in the direction of the maiden.

Celosia dashed to her side, and she used him to pull herself up. "The sword...it's gone...!"

_Retrieve it. Now that Carnibel is injured the fight will be more even; I can keep it at bay, perhaps knock it down, but only the sword will slay it. You must find it._

"I will!" Lexus nodded, moving away. Carnibel roared and started towards her, but Celosia answered its bellow with one of his own and charged. The two collided again, Carnibel crying out as its wounds lanced pain through its body.

Lexus looked around for the Ancient's Sword, brushing aside the thick grasses. "Come on, come on! Where the hell did it go!" she whispered furiously, beginning to rip up the flora. A tremor from behind her signalled Celosia falling to the ground from one of Carnibel's strikes. At that moment, she found it.

"Celosia, hold on!" she cried, sprinting towards the clashing forces. Celosia saw her, steeled himself, and thrust outward, catching Carnibel in the chest and knocking it down. Lexus jumped high into the air and brought the ancient sword down with all her strength, burying it to the hilt in Carnibel's unholy flesh.

A pitiful wail escaped the bear Colossus as it attempted to stand, then succumbed to the pain and lay still. Lexus sighed and wiped a bead of sweat from her brow.

Then a white flash erupted from Carnibel's carcass. Lexus was blinded as something hard and warm struck her torso, then she fell backwards into the cool darkness of unconsciousness.

* * *

**I deeply apologize for the extended hiatus; I hope this chapter, and those that follow, make up for it.**


	40. Lupas, the Werewolf

**On to the next chapter of Dormin's Curse.**

**I apologize if this chapter seems a bit awkward, however the design itself for the Colossus is a bit difficult to work with.**

**I own nothing but Lexus, Azgarot, the Colossi of Spirit and the Ghost of Erageo.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Lupas, the Werewolf

_He took a running leap, catching the fur-covered ankle of the mammoth before him. Sensing his presence, the great behemoth roared before swinging its leg in an attempt to dislodge him._

_The warrior raised his sword - a familiar motion - and stabbed into the tendons of the brute's foot. With a roar it began to fall forward, and he encouraged it with another stab. His enemy fell to its knees, howling its displeasure._

_Bending his knees, the warrior leaped again and grasped the ring of stone situated on the mammoth's waist, hauling himself upon a flat platform embedded into its spine. He crouched, breathing heavily as he waited for his strength to return._

Lexus opened her eyes, the dim light and misty air of the Forgotten Temple greeting her. She inhaled sharply as her hand went to her side, remembering the battle with Carnibel, then she paused. Thick bandages coated the wound.

Had Azgarot treated her? No, that was far too unlike the sealed deity. She immediately dismissed the idea from her mind, slowly moving into a sitting position against rolling waves of pain. She noticed Celosia's absence, and looked around. It was much darker now than when the pair had clashed with the bear Colossus; how long had she been out?

"About nine hours." came a familiar voice beside her. Lexus turned, blinking, to see Erageo standing beside her. His hands behind his back, he slowly rocked on his feet with a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "That's what you were thinking, right?

"You again?" the warrior girl asked. Erageo shrugged, extending a hand.

"I come when needed." the ghost replied. Lexus gripped his hand and he hauled her to her feet; she surpressed a yelp. "And indeed you needed me. For all of Their knowledge, your dear overseer Azgarot lacks the delicacy and patience to bandage a mortal wound."

"We believe We told thou to leave." Azgarot called to them, walking into view from another hallway. Celosia padded beside Them, his eyes on Erageo.

"Am I incorrect?" Erageo asked with a smile. "Clearly not, else you would have done it yourself."

"Learn thine place. Despite thine status as the reincarnation of the boy, thou art still a mere spirit." Azgarot almost spat at the ghost as They approached. "We have never allowed insects to pretend they are more than what they are. Thou art no different."

"For all of your talk, you do an impressively pathetic job of aiding warriors on their quests, don't you?" Erageo grinned. "A cryptic message and a 'now go', and you act like you've done your part. The Colossus God is everyone's responsibility."

"Thou dares to accuse Us of neglect to Our duties? As explained to the boy, We cannot interfere with the missions of mortals."

Lexus listened to the back and forth between the two, getting steadily more irritated. Despite her status as the key to destroying the Colossus God, these two had completely forgotten that she was there.

_Enough. Both of you forget that there are more pressing matters at hand._

The trio turned, surprised, to Celosia. The boar was growling, angry red eyes locked onto Erageo.

_You threaten the successful completion of our mission. Be gone, or I shall not hold back._

Erageo was silent for a moment, then he smiled and nodded. "So be it. But fear not, young Lexus, I will return. These two alone won't be enough to guide you to Origin's resting place."

The ghost of Erageo stepped back, smiling, then faded into the mist. Lexus sighed, crossing her arms and glancing at Azgarot. "You have some sort of problem with Erageo?"

"For a shade of the warrior, he is far too haughty." Azgarot replied. "We should have erased his soul long ago."

"That aside, Azgarot, I had something I wanted to talk to you about." the girl continued. The mortal Colossus glanced at her, Their blue eyes piercing her soul.

"...which is?" They asked simply.

* * *

"We understand." Azgarot said as Lexus finished her story. "In short, thou art plagued by memories that art not thine once more."

"Are these memories from my ancestor? The one that stole the sword?" Lexus asked, looking at the sword which lay on the stones that she had slept on mere moments ago. Azgarot glanced towards the weapon, Their eyes narrowing.

"Aye. The fallen warrior, slain by his kind, doth indeed be the reason for thine imaginings." They responded. "Thou described a black hand, seizing thee and pulling thee into darkness."

"That's right." Lexus nodded. She sat upon the feet of a great idol, in the shape of a tentacled monstrosity. Azgarot raised a hand to Their chin.

"And the visions of the warrior, slaying the beasts which walk thine homeland." the Colossus continued, pacing slowly. "It appears that thou art linked to the boy in both blood and spirit, thus bringing these visions hither."

"You told me that my mind can't handle two consciousnesses. Will his memories endanger the mission?"

"That, We cannot say. However, it is clear to Us that this requires great thought."

Lexus stood, taking the Ancient Sword from where it lay beside her.

"Well, thou art not to ponder it." Azgarot said with an air of finality. "The visions occur only in thine sleep; as long as thou art awake, thou art also safe."

Celosia padded into the hall from the outside, a bird in his mouth. He crunched it and swallowed, glancing at them.

_Are we ready to depart?_

"I'm ready. Azgarot?" Lexus asked, seeking direction from the God.

"Thy next foe is...surrounded by towers that scrape the heavens...its shape is of man and beast...its eyes see all..."

"It sounds like Valus." Lexus murmured. Celosia padded to them and Lexus mounted the Colossus, then rode out of the Forgotten Temple. Azgarot watched them go, then felt a presence at Their backs. They turned quickly, Their black sword appearing from the mist and falling into Their hand.

"...it is thee..."

* * *

"Towers that scrape the heavens...that's what he said, right?" Lexus asked, lifting the sword. It glowed as the sunlight hit it, then a beacon flared from the blade and pointed West. Celosia noticed this, altering his course to take them down a hill.

_To still resort to such cryptic messages, Dormin certainly hasn't changed._

Lexus was silent for a moment, then looked at her companion. "Hey, Celosia...what was the warrior like?"

There was a pause between the two. Far above, a hawk called to its kin as it sailed through the air. Then Celosia grunted.

_Sluggish and awkward in his movements. It was clear to us from the start that the boy had no experience with a sword._

"What? But Azgarot said that I had the blood of a warrior - his blood! That's why I'm skilled with a sword!"

_Your swordcraft is not hereditary. The boy's skill lay in finding our weaknesses, our deepest fears, and cracking open our shells. He was a master of slaying beasts. But he was no swordsman._

Celosia's tone was dark. Lexus had never heard him speak this way; she supposed that speaking of the person who killed him would have such an effect on Celosia.

_And for what purpose did he blindly follow Dormin's orders? Unlatching his shackles, one by one? For that girl?_

This was the first that Lexus had ever heard of a girl. She lay a hand on Celosia's back.

_Make no mistake, maiden; you were not the only one to hesitate before accepting our partnership. Letting the kin of that child ride upon me felt like it would taint my back. But I bowed my head and allowed it, because of the greater purpose that we three share. You, I, and Dormin._

They were at the bottom of the hill now. The heavy impact of Celosia's feet tore grass from the earth as they neared a tunnel.

_Although They are not aware of it, this time Dormin is just as much a pawn as any of us. This is no longer Their game, it is Origin's. And while I am loathe to admit it, I doubt our chances of success._

Darkness overtook the pair as they entered the tunnel, emerging after a few moments into the rays of the setting sun. Lexus watched it for a moment, remembering her home where the sun did not set. She wondered what night looked like.

_There._

The girl glanced up, seeing a figure over the next rise. It was tall and cylindrical; a tower.

As the two moved up, they found themselves in front of an ancient castle which had long since fallen to ruin. A wall lay toppled into the moat, and one of the towers looked dangerously close to breaking. Moss covered the bricks and flagstones of the structure.

The drawbridge was smashed to pieces, and while Lexus thought she could get across, she would be the only one; once more, Celosia would have to stay out of the fight.

_Be careful, maiden._

"I will." the swordswoman replied, dismounting and patting Celosia's head before moving forward. She took a running leap, flying through the air and hitting hard on the other side of the moat. She winced as pain lanced through the wound in her side, then she slowly stood and entered the courtyard.

A pair of storage sheds lay to her left, and to her right was an archway. Stones had fallen in front of it, but she climbed over them into the hall. Unable to see, Lexus felt her way up the stairs until she found a window.

She had passed by the main part of the castle, and another courtyard, this one much larger, was before her. A mass of rubble sat squarely in the center.

Moving slowly, Lexus descended another staircase and stepped out into the courtyard. She looked around; four towers encircled the courtyard, which was devoid of objects apart from the rubble pile.

_Where is the Colossus?_ Lexus thought to herself, moving forward while tightly gripping the Ancient's Sword.

A moan caused her to freeze, then she whirled towards the large pile of rubble. The stones and bricks slowly shifted as something underneath moved; with a roar, a great shape exploded from the pile.

It was tall; it would only come up to Valus' shoulder, but Lexus thought that was still large enough to be terrifying. It had stone claws which were caked in some kind of residue, and piercing blue eyes that it shared with all of its kind.

Furthermore, it was a werewolf.

"Fuck..." Lexus whispered, finding that she was only a dozen or so meters away from the mammoth. She stepped back slowly, hands shaking. The Colossus had stone feet and the lower half of its torso was made of rock-hard skin. Fur covered its legs and arms.

**What art thou doing? Lupas is not one to be feared.**

"It's right next to me...right next to me..." the girl stammered, continuing to back away. She reached the wall and simply stared at Lupas.

The beast itself was sniffing the air, looking around the courtyard. It saw Lexus, and their eyes locked. Its pupils burned red for an instant. Then it turned and began walking away from her.

Lexus blinked. Apart from Cancer, Lupas was the first Colossus to downright ignore her. "H-Hey...aren't you going to fight?" she called.

**As We said, Lupas shalt not fight thou. It is a passive guardian of this castle.**

"Really?"

**Mayhap passive puts it too simply...the guardian wolf shalt not strike without provokation.**

Hesitantly, Lexus began to move towards Lupas. The lumbering giant regarded her quietly as she moved, but did not attack. Its eyes remained blue and calm.

"So until I attack it, I won't receive damage?" Lexus questioned.

**Aye, thou art correct.**

Slowly removing her pistol from its holster, Lexus continued to advance as her eyes scanned the Werewolf Colossus' body for weaknesses. A glowing sigil beckoned to her from its left hand, it had some form of injury on its right, and both of its legs had a slight yellow hue to them.

Seeing the tinge of yellow on its limbs, Lexus remembered her fight with Carnibel. Lupas began moving across the courtyard as she raised the gun.

A gunshot cracked the air, and Lupas wailed before stumbling. Her bullet sank into its thigh, causing it to trip. The Colossus braced itself with its claws and snarled, its eyes flashing red and surging with anger.

Lexus saw the glowing sigil that signified a weak spot on the Colossus' body; it burned from Lupas' left claw. She began to sprint, holstering the pistol and drawing the Ancient Sword as Lupas began flexing the muscles in its leg. It would soon stand up again.

She took a running leap, landing with the sword point-down on the back of the Colossus' claw. It howled and staggered to its feet, shaking the wounded claw. Lexus gripped Lupas' fur tightly as it took a step forward, jostling her.

Lupas swung its arm, and Lexus felt her grip weaken as it did so. She wrenched the blade free of the Colossus' flesh, then impaled it up to the hilt. The werewolf Colossus wailed as the girl twisted the weapon around.

Lupas bowed its head, then began to lope towards the opposite end of the courtyard. The human swordswoman bounced on its hand as it did so, steeling herself. She yanked the Ancient Sword out, a wave of black blood pouring from the wound and slickening Lupas' fur.

The werewolf howled again, turning sharply and swinging its arm again. Lexus lost her hold and was sent flying, colliding with the stone floor of the courtyard. The Ancient Sword skittered across the cobblestones before coming to a halt near the entrance.

Blood flew from the girl's mouth as she came down, and she coughed feebly before curling up and clutching her sides. Her head throbbed and it felt like she had twisted her ankle.

**Up, maiden! Lupas shalt not hold back on an injured foe!**

Unable to summon the necessary energy to respond, Lexus began crawling across the courtyard towards the sword. Lupas moved forward, the ground quaking with each step. Its eyes burned red from anger and pain as it raised a claw.

Lexus flinched, staring up at the Colossus. Suddenly, a sensation seized her; her body grew warm and her eyes sharpened. The pain in her limbs faded to a dull throb as her arm moved on its own to the pistol's holster.

_**CRACK**_

_**YUUUUUUUU**_

Lupas staggered, its claw lifting to the eye which had been pierced by Lexus' bullet. The Colossus turned aside, snarling and howling feebly as Lexus began to heave herself up.

**Interesting. Aye, remarkable.**

"Azga...rot...?" Lexus panted as she began moving towards the entrance, backing slowly while keeping her gun on Lupas.

The god said nothing more until she reached the archway. Yanking the sword from the ground, she hid inside the stairwell just as Lupas turned back around.

**Thou doth currently share the same state of mind that did afflict the boy during his trials. His warrior senses allowed him momentary advantages over the Colossi during bleak situations. But 'tis strange; the boy gained this power only after accepting the blood and spirit of multiple stone giants. Presently, thou art different.**

Lexus listened to Lupas' indignant cries, deep in thought. The warrior felt like this too, once?

Pistol and sword in hand, Lexus felt the affects of her warrior's blood fading as the pain returned. She clenched her teeth as she thought of her options. Without the necessary circumstances, her 'condition' would not present itself. And she would have trouble moving freely with her current injuries.

"I hate Colossi..." she mumbled, peering out from behind the wall to see Lupas quite nearby, sniffing the walls. The sun had set by now, and Lexus was forced to squint to make out the Colossus' shape.

She slowly stood, bracing herself on the stone wall beside her. Lexus staggered out into the courtyard, firing the pistol at Lupas. It roared as the bullet sank into its already-injured leg, and it planted a hand on the ground to steady itself. Lexus made her way to it, stumbling over herself a few times before flopping into its hand. She dropped her pistol, gripping the fur of the werewolf Colossus as she drove her blade into its hand.

It howled, jerking backward and lifting its claw to snarl at her. Staggering into a crouch, Lexus launched herself onto Lupas' head and grabbed ahold of the fur on its crown. Putting all of her remaining strength into the action, she drove the Ancient Sword deep into Lupas' skull.

It seized up and howled at the moon now rising over the horizon, staggering back before tripping and falling. Lexus hit the ground again, rolling to a stop as Lupas rasped. It became still, and just before Lexus lost consciousness she saw a white light emerge from the blood-stained fur on its head.

* * *

**I tried to make this as long as possible. The next chapter will not feature a Colossus, and if it does then it will be at the very end. We need to give Lexus time to heal.**


	41. Azgarot's Ancient Revelations

**The next chapter of Dormin's Curse shall now begin.**

**I am thinking of replacing the older chapters with newer variants that have my current style of writing, but I'd like some feedback on that.**

**I own nothing but Azgarot, Lexus, the Colossi of Spirit and the ghost of Erageo.**

* * *

_Lexus was nowhere._

_She stood upon a beach, the ocean before her stretching for eternity. At her back was a cliffside, too high and steep to climb. The sun shone at her from above. It felt like home._

_**Child...**_

_A multitude of voices echoed from above. Their tone reverberated with a mixture of affection and pity, and all were one._

_**You struggle needlessly, young one. The order of the world desires my awakening.**_

_"Who are you?" Lexus called, her voice echoing across the shoreline. The voices, neither male nor female, sang to her from the empty sky._

_**I am the god which resides within and watches over the land forgotten by history. My name is Origin, the Waking Mind.**_

_Lexus narrowed her eyes, reaching for the Ancient Sword. But her hands grasped at air; the scabbard was empty._

_**It is all right, child. Your efforts are commendable, but it is time for you to return home. I can take you to your birthplace.**_

_Lexus remembered her father, Eolly and the villagers. She then remembered the shattered bridge which used to link the two lands._

_**My wind will bring a new era to your people. All you need is but to ask, and I shall return you to your family.**_

_The maiden was silent. The wind blew sand up into the air, and it formed into a figure. A boy stood before her, skin pale and hair white. His eyes were deep green and seemed endless, but empty as well. The boy extended a hand to her._

_**Take my hand, child. It is all right.**_

_Lexus backed away from the image that Origin had conjured. Her mind reeled with possibilities. The Colossus God offered her a return home. She could see her family again._

_Maybe - _

**Art thou done dreaming of nonsense?**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

The Waking Mind

Azgarot's Ancient Revelations

Lexus awoke to a resounding _smack_ and a sting on her cheek. She cried out, then another cry caught in her throat as her body was wracked with pain. The battle with Lupas rushed back to her; her sprained ankle, injured ribcage and cuts and bruises all over her body.

Azgarot knelt over her, Their frighteningly blue eyes piercing her to the core. Lexus lay still for a moment as the god examined her.

"Thou art not making this easy upon Us." Azgarot sighed. "Even thinking of a pact between Origin and thee is treason upon thine people, thine oath, and especially the contract that thou already shares with Us."

Lexus only partially heard the mortal god, instead using her time to sort through what she had just seen. After a moment, she began to look around; her pistol lay against the rubble of Lupas' idol, and the sword was stuck in-between a pillar and the idol of some tentacled monstrosity.

Azgarot noted her disinterest with a sigh, standing and crossing Their arms. "Maiden, pay attention. Thou hast suffered deeply from thine last battle; afore proceeding, thou must heal."

Lexus nodded, attempting to sit up but wincing in pain. Azgarot watched her for a moment, then sighed. They bent down, taking Lexus and hauling her into Their arms.

"Azgarot?" the warrior girl blinked as They carried her down one of the halls. Azgarot turned Their eyes on her.

"We said it aright, did We not? Thou must heal, lest the quest end incomplete. Thine injuries are no trivial matter against Colossi."

"Right...but where are you taking me?"

"During thine travels to find these cousins of Our captives, We have explored this forgotten monument. There exists a spring which possesses healing properties beyond this archway. That is our destination."

Lexus looked up at the god as They moved under a gateway, moving into an outdoor garden atop a hill which overlooked the Forgotten Realm. In the center of the garden, lined with large stones, was a natural spring.

"You're being awfully kind to me, Azgarot." Lexus chuckled. The god scoffed, promptly dropping her into the water.

"This is thrice We have stated Our goal, maiden. Without rapid recovery, thou hast no hope of defeating these spiritual giants. This spring shalt assist the process, and with thine current condition, carrying thee was the only option."

Lexus spat water out of her mouth, glaring at Azgarot from beneath the hair that had fallen into her eyes. "Alright, I get it!" she snapped.

Heavy footfalls drew her attention, and she looked away from the boy as Celosia entered the garden. His eyes shifted from Lexus to Azgarot.

_Should I be concerned? Ten minutes have passed and neither of you has pulled their blade on the other._

"Insolent brute, cease thine chattering." Azgarot commanded. "What We do with Our warrior doth be none of thine concern."

_The girl is my charge; Malus commands it. Much as I dislike the situation, everything she does is of my concern._

Azgarot diverted Their eyes from the boar colossus. "The boy was far better than thee. He was obedient, ignorant, and his blasted horse did not contradict Our every word."

With that, Azgarot turned and walked back into the Forgotten Temple. Celosia chuckled, moving towards the spring before slipping in and lying down at the shallow end.

Lexus was silent for a while after Azgarot left, thinking to herself. Should she discuss her vision of Origin with Them? Perhaps ask why she was chosen to carry this duty, instead of one of Wander's earlier descendants?

Celosia noted her musings, snorting and scattering ripples across the water.

_Deep thought, unusual for you. Care to share?_

"I have many questions for Azgarot, but I don't think he would be particularly agreeable in answering some of them." Lexus replied, leaning back. Her clothes stuck uncomfortably to her; deciding that Celosia wouldn't mind, she quickly removed her cloak and shirt.

The boar colossus took very little notice of her action.

_I see. Well, you could try that trick from when we first arrived; whining at Them until They give in._

Lexus chuckled. "I would if I didn't think that he'd get royally pissed this time."

She felt the bandages on her side, surprised to find the pain numbing and slowly fading. The spring was miraculous. She laid her head back, looking at the sky, then slowly closed her eyes.

* * *

_The warrior spit sand from his mouth as he crawled across the back of a serpent which slithered through the heavens. A large flap made of stone cartilage waved in the breeze as he drove his sword deep into the hide of his makeshift mount, prompting it to scream._

_A tilt, then it rolled in the air. He grunted, gripping its fur tightly to avoid plummeting to the sands below._

* * *

"MAIDEN!"

Lexus jolted awake to find Azgarot standing over her, staring into her eyes. She blushed as she realized that she still had no shirt on, quickly covering up - she registered almost immediately that the pain in her body was gone.

"Oh, enough. We do not care for the physical attractions of mortals." Azgarot grunted, turning and walking across the garden towards the cliff. Lexus huffed as she pulled her shirt over her head, then she grabbed her cloak and made her way to the mortal god.

Azgarot looked out at the Forgotten Land, hands clasped behind Their back. Lexus glanced at Them, then out at the country which had been shunned by even the dark god beside her.

"...hey, Azgarot." she began. "What did you think of my ancestor? The Wanderer?"

The boy was silent for a moment, then They turned their neck slowly to face her. Lexus shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of Azgarot's ancient blue eyes.

"Doth thou have a reason for such inquiry?" They asked tersely. The warrior girl shrugged in response.

"Celosia appears to have a negative opinion of him." she responded, glancing back at the Colossus which slept in the water. "I was wondering if everyone who knew him disliked him that way. ...you know, from the Fertile Land, that is."

For the first time since she'd first spoken to Them, Azgarot chuckled. It was almost melodic; the female voices overlapped the male ones. They sat on a nearby rock, raising a hand to Their forehead.

"The boy..." They began. "Even among his own people, he was considered arrogant and careless. We did not know much of his journey before he entered Our presence, but near the end of his quest, others came to stop him. From their conversation, it was clear to Us that he cared little for the rules of human society."

"The wanderer was selfish, maiden. Stealing a holy relic, traversing forbidden ground and forming an unspeakable pact with" here, They chuckled again. "'Dormin the Deceiver'. All of these laws of nature, desecrated for the sole purpose of reviving his sacrificed love."

Lexus nodded, kneeling in the grass. Celosia had also spoken of a girl. "What happened to her?"

"The girl's breath was stopped due to foretellings of a cursed fate." Azgarot replied. "This was spoken directly from the boy's lips. The specifics escape Us, but his resolve was almost godly. For such a pitiful reason, to sacrifice his own will..."

"That's kind of hypocritical, isn't it?" Lexus interrupted. "I agree with what you say, but you were just as selfish. Tricking an innocent man into giving you his body, without any foreword of the sort."

Azgarot's eyes narrowed. "...Our concerns are Ours alone. The boy was warned that the cost for revival was mighty, yet he deafened himself to Our words. 'Lord Dormin', spoke he, 'I will do anything if you save her. Please.' And lo, We did."

Lexus sat back, her empty sheathe clicking. Azgarot sighed. "The boy, himself...weak-minded. Oblivious. He displayed a complete lack of both skill and willpower. We consider it a miracle that he survived the trial. Thine question was, 'What is thine opinion of the boy?' In short, We saw him as no more than a tool."

"We could have spoken anything; simply add 'for the maiden' and he would obey. In battle, a reminder of his love pushed him further into the abyss. Faith that the stories would lead her to salvation drove the warrior."

"So you felt nothing when he died for her?" Lexus demanded, on her feet. "Are you really so heartless that you would tear his hope down at the last minute, just when he believed in you the most?"

Azgarot also stood, Their eyes unblinking. "We repeat; the boy knew the cost. He rolled the dice, he played his hand, and he lost. We won. That is all."

They began to walk past Lexus, now fuming. "And it is the same with thou. Thou art a pawn, one piece on Our universal chessboard in a game against Origin. When the game is won, thou shalt be placed in the trash with thine ancestor-"

Lexus wheeled around, fist clenched, and delivered a punch to Azgarot with such force that the mortal Colossus was knocked off of Their feet. They hit the ground with a grunt as Lexus tried to shake the pain from her hand.

"I can't believe it! Elder Agekale, my father, Eolly, they were all right!" she shouted, rousing Celosia. "You're just using me for your personal gain, like you did with the warrior!"

She bent down, grabbing Azgarot by the collar and hauling Them close to her face. "I swear, Azgarot; when I have killed the last of the Colossi, you are next." she hissed, then shoved Them away and stormed towards the temple. Azgarot raised a hand to Their cheek, rubbing it as Celosia shook the drowsiness from his eyes and padded to the god.

"The warrior would have licked Our sandals, had We possessed them at the time. And that was for the life of one maiden." Azgarot murmured. "We art helping save her entire village this time, and We are treated thusly."

_This girl is not like the wanderer, Dormin. Her spirit burns brighter than any human I've seen in centuries._

Azgarot lifted Their eyes to the boar Colossus.

_Give me the clue. I shall relay it to the girl, and we will be away. You will have the solitude you desire, and deserve._

* * *

**And that's another chapter. Apologies for not having a colossus chapter, but I need to do character development at **_**some **_**point.**

**It struck me that Azgarot and Lexus were getting a bit familiar; this should fix that.**


	42. Celosia's Story and Gumaha, the Pangolin

**Continuing with the story now. The second Colossus featured in this chapter (one of five Colossi made by someone other than me) is courtesy of my friend, Kopaka96.**

**I own nothing except Lexus, Azgarot, the Colossi of Spirit and the Ghost of Erageo.**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

Celosia's Story/Gumaha, the Pangolin

The Pain of a Mortal/Taurgon, the Centaur

Celosia and Lexus rode from the Forgotten Temple, loping down the hill into the misty lands before them.

"So? What's our cryptic hint this time?" Lexus asked, looking down at her mount.

_A cave filled with light, it strides beneath heavy armor, weight betraying its speed._

"Perfect. I love Colossi that are described with heavy armor." the girl grunted, unsheathing the Ancient Sword and pointing it towards the heavens. The ray of light pointed to the right this time, towards the sea. Seeing this, Celosia moved in the direction of the light's rays.

"How in the name of the warrior did you put up with that guy for so long?" the swordswoman demanded of the Colossus beneath her. Celosia shrugged as best as he could while running.

_The flow of time passes differently for us, as opposed to human beings. I have lived for thousands of years, as have the others before me. What's strange is that, in a way, the Deceiver could be considered our parent._

Lexus raised an eyebrow, then cried out and gripped Celosia's fur tighter as the boar Colossus jumped over a tree trunk which was in their path. "How might that be?" she asked after regaining her composure.

_Before any of us came into being, there was a human soldier known as Mone who came to the Forbidden Land. Although more level-headed, Mone was no better than the boy - he struck a deal with Dormin. But the conditions were...marginally dissimilar._

"The village elders have never spoken of this soldier." Lexus blinked. She was learning far more from Azgarot and Celosia than she ever had from her people.

_Perhaps because none remember him for who he was. Even I know little of him; Valus would give the best account of his trials._

The two were silent for a moment, neither saying a word. Lexus looked around as they began moving downhill, towards the shoreline still so far away. She looked back at the mist-enshrouded Forgotten Temple, then blinked; the distance made it difficult to tell, but she thought she saw a figure moving down the hill from the temple.

_Mone wished for Dormin's safety. According to Them, the soldier came with news of impending invasion from the human civilization to the north. As he had always been loyal to the Gods, he did not wish for Dormin to go to war against his people. By placing sixteen statues across the land, a large-scale magic spell was established. Dormin would be given the power to repel humans from Their land without harming them._

_But the Deceiver had other plans; as the final statue fell into its resting place, Dormin betrayed Mone by revealing Their true intent; using the power granted to Them by Man, they would destroy the world that originally lay beyond Their influence. This would ensure that none would ever again dare to challenge Dormin._

"I see...so what happened?" Lexus asked.

_Both Mone and the Deceiver left the battle crippled; although Mone was cursed by Dormin, the Deceiver's physical body was destroyed by the soldier. You now know him as Malus._

Lexus' eyes widened. Celosia slowed, panting; they had travelled farther than when they fought Lupas. The Colossus needed a break. Lexus slid off of his back as Celosia slumped against a rise in the hillside.

Leaning on a rock, Lexus took in this information. How much had her people forgotten, and how much had they neglected to tell her?

* * *

**20 MINUTES EARLIER...**

Watching the pair leave, Azgarot was quiet. The swordsgirl was clearly offended; They wracked Their brain for the cause.

Azgarot could not think of anything They had said which might've triggered this reaction. And besides, did a mortal have any right to act in such a way? They were a god, for the sake of the sword! By Their word, even pondering these events was something that Azgarot would not have considered with the boy. What had changed?

They treated all mortals the same; grudging acceptance when orders were followed, physical discipline towards those who faltered in their loyalty. No praise, for it was expected for mortals to obey Them. No sympathy, for failing to fulfill the order of a god was akin to treason.

And they had all accepted this; the boy, the soldier and those who contacted Them before them. This heretical girl was the only one in Their immortal memory to be angered or displeased at Their actions. Perhaps it was surprise at the reaction that had stayed Their hand, or perhaps it was amusement or curiosity as to what the girl would do next.

Regardless of cause or reason, the boar Colossus was right; this girl was different from any before her.

"I never thought I'd see the day." came a voice from behind Them. Azgarot whirled, dark blade in hand, to see Erageo. An irritating smile was plastered onto his face.

"Thou art not welcome here. Begone, wayward spirit; the afterlife awaits thee." Azgarot commanded, Their voice full of authority. The cobblestones of the temple shook with each word.

A screech reached the pair as a hawk flew into the temple from a window high above their heads, circling overhead. Azgarot blinked. "Loki? What is the cause for this - thou art nothing more than an observer."

The ancient bird flew to Erageo's shoulder, chirping. Its eyes did not match its body, appearing far too old.

_I toast to the first meeting we have had in ages, Dormin._

"Dormin, live and in the flesh, reflecting on Their actions." Erageo's ghost chuckled. "The girl has shaken you, clearly."

"She dared to strike Our face. We should have smited her - " the god began uproariously.

" - yet you didn't." Erageo interrupted. "Why is that, Dormin? Perhaps because the girl is right."

"There can be no truth other than Ours. The girl forgets her place as a pawn in this event."

_We are all pawns this time, Dormin._

Both boys turned to the hawk perched upon Erageo's shoulder. Loki ruffled his feathers, eyeing Azgarot.

_Origin is playing with the girl's mind. There is no possible way that you have not sensed this; if she becomes misguided or corrupted in any way, all is lost._

"We art well aware of the interactions between Our warrior and Origin. But with such a meager mortal form, there is little We can do about such things." Azgarot replied.

"But that's not true." Erageo countered. "You now have a body, and a sword. Why not help Lexus to kill these Colossi?"

"The girl doth have the Ancient Sword; only a weapon forged by the gods may harm Colossi." Azgarot responded.

In response, Loki glanced at the dark blade which lay in Azgarot's hand.

_Is that not a blade forged by the gods?_

The mortal Colossus blinked, glancing at the weapon in Their hands.

_I know that you cannot take the girl's task as your own, Dormin; the strings of fate will not allow it. But perhaps you will better understand her plight if you were to attempt to slay a Colossus._

"Absurd; out of the question." the god barked. "A god should not stoop to doing the tasks of their servants. The girl and the girl alone will do this."

"I would think that the journey would go faster if you and Lexus got along better." Erageo said smugly. Azgarot grunted. "Tell me, have you even called her by name once?"

"No, as there is no need."

"It might do wonders."

_We are pleading, Dormin; if the girl becomes hostile towards you, she will forget her mission and Origin will have won._

There was silence in the Forgotten Temple. After the pause, Azgarot nodded.

"...thine logic is without flaw, much as it pains Us to admit it." the boy grimaced. "We shalt slay a Colossus, and prove to thou that We understand the pain of mortals."

"That is all we ask." Erageo smiled. Loki took flight as the boy faded into the mist. The blade vanished as Azgarot raised a hand to Their chin.

"Yet We have not ventured beyond a temple, both body and soul, in centuries." They murmured. "Doth We still have the capability?"

Azgarot slowly made Their way to the front gate of the temple which lay in the valley of mist. Slowly, carefully, They placed a sandal-covered foot onto the grass.

Nothing happened.

"Perhaps the body of a mortal...is not as hindering as We once thought..." Azgarot decided, starting down the hill. They looked out towards the sea, seeing the girl and her damnable steed moving towards the Colossus.

"We shalt show thou why We art to be respected, girl." Azgarot vowed, moving towards the forest.

* * *

"Are you okay now?" Lexus asked, placing a hand on Celosia's side. The boar Colossus nodded, heaving himself up.

_A short rest was all I required. We may proceed._

Lexus jumped onto his back, jolted back as he suddenly began padding forward. Soon they reached the beachhead.

_Here we are. Where do we go next?_

Lexus unsheathed her blade, raising it to the little light which permeated the fog that had gathered around them. It pointed to a cave entrance to the West.

"That way!" she declared. Celosia nodded, kicking up sand with his claws as he moved towards the cave. Darkness overtook them as they entered; Celosia slowed, moving carefully around stalagmites and sharp rocks.

"This cave is small and dark, could that Colossus really be in here?" Lexus asked, bending down flat against Celosia's back.

_Its unholy stench is everywhere. Do not fear, we are in the right place._

No sooner had the boar Colossus said that than light appeared at the end of the tunnel. Bounding towards it, the two found themselves inside a massive cavern with its ceiling opening to the sky.

"Wow!" Lexus said breathlessly; the cavern was beautiful. Stalactites covered the ceiling and the rocks within sparkled in the sunlight. "But...where is the Colossus?"

As if to answer her, there was a tremor beneath their feet which jarred her. Slowly, a figure came into focus from the opposite side of the cavern. As its body emerged from the darkness, Lexus felt her confidence dwindling.

It was massive, at least twenty times her height. It was like an armadillo had sprouted a long tail, which slashed the air behind the hulking behemoth. The only unarmored part on its entire body was a small patch of fur, barely large enough for her to fit on, on its head.

The cave trembled as it walked, its great weight pressing its feet into the sands. Celosia shifted warily.

_This foe seems to be more difficult than those previous. I can see no weak spots._

The great pangolin trilled, looking around sleepily. It laid its eyes on Lexus, and the hue turned from blue to red. It shook itself, then rolled forward. It took Lexus a moment to comprehend the movement; the Colossus had tucked itself into a ball, and was moving towards the pair.

Very rapidly.

"Celosia, move!" Lexus yelled. Celosia roared and pounced forward, narrowly evading the Colossus. It turned faster than should have been possible, wheeling after them.

_I can easily outrun it, but as long as it is curled up, its one weak spot is protected._

"Hey, Azgarot, feel like making yourself useful?" Lexus cried.

There was no answer from the god. Lexus raised an eyebrow. "Oi, answer me! I'm going to get flattened at this rate!"

No reponse came. Lexus swore and urged Celosia on, the Colossus directly behind them. "Why is that useless god not answering me?"

_It is strange._

Celosia veered to avoid the wall, the pangolin Colossus moving after him. It whined as its armored shell scraped against the rock wall.

_Perhaps an impact will jar Gumaha?_

Lexus blinked as a voice that was not Dormin's entered her mind. She looked down at Celosia.

_I heard it too. But to think that Loki is advising us...Dormin must truly have Their hands full._

"You think something happened?" the warrior girl asked as Celosia ran back through the middle of the cave. Gumaha followed closely, its shadow blocking out the light from above. Sweat began to bead on Lexus' forehead.

_I don't know, but we now have our clue. We should thank Loki later._

"And who is Loki anyway?" Lexus asked as Celosia moved towards a cavern wall.

_Never mind that, just hold on tightly._

"What do you - " Lexus was cut off as the boar Colossus leapt into the air. He collided with the wall and jumped off; Gumaha was unable to stop in time, and crashed into the wall. With a cry, it unfurled onto its side, panting.

With telepathic shouts of encouragement from Celosia, Lexus stood on the Colossus' back as they neared Gumaha's great body. She jumped onto its head as Celosia veered away, crawling to the fur on its head.

Unsheathing the ancient sword, Lexus stabbed into Gumaha's head and twisted; blood poured from the wound as the Colossus trilled in pain. It writhed, claws scratching at the air.

Then, suddenly, she nearly lost her grip as the pangolin Colossus pulled itself back to its feet. Its giant tail slashed out, catching Celosia in the chest and sending him flying.

_ARGH - !_

"Celosia!" Lexus cried. Gumaha shook itself again as Celosia hit a wall, crumpling in the sand.

_It's - urk - nothing! Kill it before it curls again!_

Lexus nodded, hastily stabbing the Colossus' head again. Gumaha howled, was silent for a short time, then fell to its side and shook the entire cavern. Lexus quickly dismounted, running towards Celosia.

"Are you okay - " she cried out, then she felt a heavy impact on her back. Spittle flew from her mouth as she fell to the sand, losing consciousness before impact.

* * *

**TEN MINUTES EARLIER...**

Azgarot vaulted over a boulder, moving into an open field. Moving straight through the forest, They had found this massive clearing. According to their infinite wisdom, a Colossus lurked nearby.

Summoning Their dark blade, Azgarot proceeded cautiously into the field. A slight tremor ran through the ground; if the girl had been in Azgarot's place, she would not have felt it.

Azgarot lifted Their eyes as the beast came into view; it was Taurgon, a massive centaur Colossus. It roared, striking at the dirt with its front-left hoof. The god analyzed the Colossus; rocky skin covered its body. A long tail offered passage towards its fur-covered back.

**Truly, a pitiful excuse for a challenge. **Azgarot thought. They ran forward, tensing up as Taurgon turned to face Them. "Thine soul shalt be Ours, accursed beast." Azgarot declared.

Taurgon charged, its massive bulk shaking the ground. Azgarot fought to stay standing as the creature approached, then its clawed hand swung down towards the god.

Azgarot crossed Their arms in front of their chest in a defensive stance; the blow made contact and sent the mortal Colossus flying. They hit a tree and grunted.

**Ah, so this is the pain inflicted by a Colossus. We knew it would be great, but... **Azgarot stood. **...it is nothing We cannot handle.**

_**"Hey Azgarot, feel like making yourself useful?"**_

Azgarot blinked as the girl's words entered Their eternal mind. Why, at such a crucial moment, would she contact Them?

The god charged, approaching Taurgon. The centaur Colossus roared, rearing onto its hind legs. Azgarot dove to avoid the beast's hooves as they came down, but the impact still sent Them flying.

_**"Oi, answer me! I'm going to get flattened at this rate!"**_

"Loki, deal with the girl!" Azgarot shouted, coughing as They stood. Taurgon, thinking that the god had been crushed, began to wander idly around the clearing. The boy sprinted to the base of Taurgon's tail, leaping onto it.

Almost immediately, the Colossus howled its displeasure. It began to run, causing Azgarot to flail wildly. They slowly crawled up to Taurgon's back, unable to gain much ground from the beast's thrashing.

"Be still, unholy beast!" They shouted, stabbing Their dark blade into Taurgon's flesh. The centaur Colossus howled, steadying out as Azgarot began to run across its back. They leaped up, sword-tip down, and planted the blade into the weakspot upon the centaur's back.

It wailed, crashing into the treeline and causing several tree branches to collide with Azgarot. They reeled backwards, almost blown back to Taurgon's tail as the dark blade evaporated.

**More of a challenge than We thought, perhaps...** the god grudgingly admitted to Themselves, reforming the dark blade in Their hands and moving forward. The Colossus could not hide its weakness from Their eyes; the next vital spot lay upon the man-like portion of its back.

As Azgarot neared the crucial spot, however, Taurgon reached back and grabbed the god.

"Blast!" They shouted as They were thrown from the back of the Colossus, smashing through a line of trees through the force of Taurgon's throw. They were still for a moment upon impact, coughing up blood. If the girl had taken such a hit, surely she would be dead.

"This mortal form is too frail...just like the boy's..." Azgarot decided. They looked up to see Taurgon's hoof descending towards Them; quickly, the mortal Colossus rolled out of the way just before the centaur Colossus flattened the tree.

"By Our word, this brute should not pose such a threat!" They hissed. Turning, They made a throwing motion with their arm. A gale wind lifted Taurgon off of its feet and sent it flying back to the clearing. Azgarot slowly staggered after it.

**To think that a simple wind is all We can muster with the remainder of Our powers...** the god thought, seeing Taurgon beginning to rise. Struggling to move faster, Azgarot reached the fur upon the Colossus' back just as it stood.

Gripping its fur tightly, Azgarot climbed towards the final vital point on its body. They raised their sword, gathering strength, then drove it deep into Taurgon's back.

The centaur Colossus roared, staggered to the side slightly, then its legs simply gave way and it dropped like a stone. Azgarot's face was smashed into its stony skin before They were flung off of its body by the impact. Rolling away into the grass, They were still for a moment.

**Truly...Colossi...**

After a moment, They slowly rose. "Perhaps...ugh...We underestimated the girl..." They murmured, slowly staggering back towards the Forgotten Temple.

* * *

**And there's the next chapter. More character development next chapter, followed by a duel with another of my friends' Colossi. I hope you enjoyed the length of this one.**


	43. Todeous, the Poison Backed Toad

**Moving to the next chapter of Dormin's Curse.**

**I'm disappointed to find that my chapters are shorter than I would like; even the last chapter, which covered four topics, barely reached four thousand words. If anyone feels that the chapters are too short, I urge you to tell me.**

**Also, the lack of reviews also has me a bit 'bummed out'. Reviews are what keeps authors going; if you don't review, then how do I know you didn't get bored halfway through and switch to a Digimon fanfiction? I need feedback to improve.**

**More character development, then another Colossus from one of my friends is next.**

**I own nothing but Lexus, Azgarot, the Colossi of Sealing and the Ghost of Erageo.**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

A God's Apology

Todeous, the Poison-Backed Toad

_With an impact that shook the sands, the great stone door crumbled beneath the might of the titanic bull hidden behind it. The ancient creature shook itself, giving a roar as it kicked up plumes of sand._

_The warrior stepped back, eyes wide with surprise. Then his face hardened into a mask of determination. "Agro!" he called. The horse, upon which he rode to this land, came at his call with a whinny. He leaped upon its back, and it fled before the piercing red gaze of the giant._

Lexus blinked the vision away. She lay still in the depths of the Forgotten Temple, sword and pistol beside her. A rumble alerted her to the fall of Gumaha's idol.

However, Lexus noted that another idol, further down the hall, had already shattered. She counted off the Colossi she had already slain in her head. Runtus, Cancer, Ciarog, Carnibel, Lupas, Gumaha...why had seven idols crumbled?

_I am stunned by this as well._

Lexus bolted upright, looking around. She spotted Celosia laying against another idol, gazing at her. "Celosia!" she cried breathlessly, scrambling to her feet and rushing to the Colossus' side. "You're unhurt?"

_The spring that Dormin introduced us to worked wonders. I am completely healed._

"Thank the gods..." Lexus sighed in relief. She then turned, glaring around the hall. Azgarot was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Azgarot! Get out here!" she shouted. "Because of you, Celosia got hurt!"

There was no response. Lexus growled under her breath, stalking to her weapons and scooping them off of the ground. She sheathed the Ancient Sword and holstered her gun.

"AZGAROT!" she bellowed. The Forgotten Temple echoed with her voice, reverberating off of the idols and stone walls. However, no answer came.

"Erageo! Are you there?" she called. Celosia stood and walked to her side.

_I have seen neither Dormin nor Erageo since we returned here._

"By swords and sabers, I'll have them take responsibility for this!" Lexus swore. "AZGA-"

"Quiet, maiden..."

A weak whisper came from the end of the hall. Lexus turned, her eyes narrowed, then she blinked. Azgarot was staggering towards her, hand clutching Their side and blood running down Their face.

"A-Azgarot?" the warrior girl exclaimed. The mortal Colossus stumbled, panting.

"We heard thou the first time...be patient, young fool..." They grunted, wincing before falling to Their knees. As Celosia and Lexus rushed to Them, Erageo materialized from the mist.

"My, serious injuries." the ghost chuckled. "Not so easy is it, Dormin? Fighting a Colossus, I mean."

Celosia snorted in surprise; Lexus simply blinked numbly at the statement. _Azgarot...fought a Colossus?_

"Back, hopeless phantom." Azgarot grunted through clenched teeth, rising steadily. "We seek neither thine pity nor thine goodwill. The task is complete, now begone."

"You fought a Colossus?" Lexus demanded. "That's insane! If you could do it, then why am I even here?"

**"Cease thine chattering!" **Azgarot boomed, shaking the temple. Immediately afterward, They inhaled sharply and clutched their side again. Blood soaked Their hand and cloak. "We did it to prove what a simple feat it is. We cannot fight fate, mortal; only one of warrior's descent may slay Colossi."

"Aye, We slew one rightly enough. But its spirit has passed to another, as Our body is not a suitable vessel for a Colossus' essence." the mortal Colossus continued, staggering forward until They reached a wall. They sat slowly, breathing heavily. "...We find Ourselves corrected. Slaying Colossi proved to be too much for Our mortal body to handle."

Lexus was speechless. Azgarot raised Their head to look at her. "...apologies...Lexus..."

"You..." she said softly. The mortal Colossus coughed.

"We take back Our previous statements...to a degree. Truly, thou art not meager mortal trash as We had taken thee to be. If thou doth take this task for thine people, then perhaps such resolve alone maketh thine village worthy of protection. This is something We did not care to consider for the boy."

For a moment, the temple was silent apart from Azgarot's rasping. Then, Lexus bent down. She wrapped one of Azgarot's arms around her shoulders and lifted Them to Their feet. The mortal Colossus blinked, looking at her.

"You need the spring. It wouldn't do for our guide to die, would it?" she asked quietly, moving towards the healing spring. Azgarot limped beside her, grunting.

"We do not ask for help, girl. The shame We bear 'tis a godly burden. Twice the shame, for a mortal to attempt to rid Us of it."

Erageo, who had been watching silently, stepped forward. "It's alright, Lexus; if Dormin returns to Their godly form for a short period, they should rejuvenate far faster than the spring can provide."

"The specter speaks truthfully. Allow Us to return to Our heavenly perch; by this time again tomorrow, We shalt be whole." Azgarot assured her. Lexus was silently for a moment, then she lowered Azgarot into a kneeling position.

"Then...what is the next Colossus?" the warrior girl asked quietly. Azgarot coughed.

"Thy next foe is...at the poolside too dark for light...a treacherous beast looms from the waters...truly, its reach is formidable..."

Lexus wordlessly hauled herself onto Celosia, who turned before dashing out of the Forgotten Temple. Erageo watched her go, then turned his gaze to Azgarot, who had lowered Themselves to the floor.

"Well? Did you learn something?" the ghost asked cheerfully.

"Mortals are flimsy and irrational creatures." Azgarot replied. "We must ponder Our thoughts before coming to a conclusion."

"God or not, you acted very human there for a while." Erageo chuckled.

There was silence, then Azgarot's eyes rolled back into his head. The boy's body dissolved into a black cloud, which formed into a shadowy silhouette. The essence of Dormin rose into the air, vanishing above the ceiling.

And all was quiet.

* * *

Celosia first noticed Lexus' unnatural mood when they had gone ten minutes without her lifting the sword.

_Maiden?_

"...yes...?"

_Did Dormin shake you that much? Certainly, They seemed-_

"My anger at Azgarot came from his complete disrespect of mankind." Lexus said shortly. "No matter what has happened, he has always seen mortals as tools, just a means for him to achieve his goals. Even when my ancestor gave his life for his love, Azgarot thought not once of either of their feelings; only dominance was present in his head."

_Such are the workings of gods. As a Colossus, I also am ignorant to the 'feelings' of mortals._

"But you have the good decency to be subtle about it. Azgarot told me, to my face, that I was nothing but his pawn. He had me fooled for a while, thinking that he cared about something other than himself."

_Maiden..._

"But now, it's different. It's like he's starting to see what makes mortals important. The one thing I can't figure out is, why did he kill the Colossus in the first place?"

_I would wager that Erageo holds the answer to that._

"I might have to force it out of him later." Lexus decided, raising her sword to the light. It led to the forest, and Celosia pounced towards it.

* * *

In the Fertile Land, Malus opened his eyes. He lifted his great foot, then planted it onto the ground again. He repeated this until the edge of his platform prevented further traversing.

Through the eyes of a Colossus, Malus' perspective was different. He saw not light, but purpose. When the Deceiver had met Their end by the cursed warrior's hands, They had been clouded in darkness, supreme but tainted. When the boy clashed with the giant, Malus had seen shades of brown and pink; determination and love drove Wander, not lust or selfishness.

And when Lexus was born, her purpose nearly blinded Malus. Truly, extraordinary things were to come of her; the living tower could sense it.

But what worried him now was not the Deceiver, and it was not even Origin. A shadow had settled upon the time-forgotten land which lay beyond the mist, a terror which had not been seen since the beginning of time. Origin had something hidden beneath the Earth's surface, and lack of knowledge as to its nature was what truly worried Malus.

With a screech and a rush of air that would send a man reeling, Avion perched upon the mountainside.

_"Malus, your thoughts? I know that you see it, too."_

_"Sweet Avion, what I see is danger. Our young ambassador to the next land is inexperienced."_ Malus replied. The eagle Colossus ruffled her feathers. _"I wish for you to seek council with the Deceiver; she must prepare for this threat."_

* * *

"Have we arrived?"

Lexus slid off of Celosia's back. Deep in the forest, where little light penetrated the canopy, they had found a pond with a cliff overlooking it. A great boulder sat upon the cliff, silhouetted against the treetops.

_The smell of the beast is everywhere. Dormin said that it waited 'at the poolside too dark for light._

Lexus nodded, moving forward. Movement caught her eye, and she lifted them. The 'boulder' shifted slightly, then two large blue orbs flared from beneath it.

The Colossus was a frog.

It lifted itself slowly, shaking off centuries of dirt and dead bugs. Moss had grown over its head, and several large stone spines extended from its back. The Colossus was around five times Celosia's size.

"It's a big frog." she said flatly.

_I concur._

"Fuck."

The frog Colossus examined the two intruders, then simply fell from its cliff into the water. Lexus shouted as a wave of water splashed over her, drenching her.

"Oh, that is it! Get out here, you big ugly son of a - "

The Colossus wailed as it emerged from the waters, towering over Lexus. She stepped back, fumbling for her sword as it raised a claw. Celosia suddenly entered her field of vision, ramming the Colossus' side and causing it to stagger.

_Heavy...! Such a beast will not be easy to stall. Hurry, maiden!_

Lexus drew her blade and her gun, loading the latter as she backed away. Celosia retreated from the Colossus' blows, and Lexus let off a shot. It _pinged_ off of the frog's lower jaw, and it bellowed.

The girl did a thorough examination. Stone armor covered its legs, and the only fur was on its back - on its head, too, if one counted the moss.

"Can you see a way to climb it?" she yelled to Celosia, ducking under a swipe from the mammoth. She then yelped and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed as it body slammed the ground.

_No, I can see no path!_

Celosia roared, drawing the frog's attention as Lexus crouched in the shade of a tree. She gasped as the beast's maw opened, then a large tongue flashed from its fanged mouth and collided with Celosia. The boar was sent flying, crashing into a tree and knocking it over.

"Damn it!"

She ran from her shelter, firing off at the beast which turned to face her. Red eyes gleaming, it launched its tongue at her, and she ducked under it. The tongue collided with a large rock and stuck fast, but soon the Colossus was free again. It wailed.

_Salutations, maiden._

"Loki?" the swordsgirl asked breathlessly, recognizing the voice.

_Precisely. As our holy friend is still recovering, it remains my duty to guide you against Todeous.._

"Then do something!"

_One moment, if you will._

Celosia, back on his feet, charged Todeous with a bellow. The frog Colossus turned to face him, and they rammed into each other; Todeous fell back as Celosia rolled across the forest floor. He whimpered as he came close to the water's edge, digging his claws into the soil to keep from sliding in.

_The predator's greatest weapon is its only flaw._

Lexus was amazed at how uncryptic Loki was; it must have something to do with not being a god. Glancing back at Todeous, she could only assume that the ancient bird was speaking about Todeous' tongue.

"Oi, this way!" she shouted, whistling. Todeous looked at her, shook its massive frame, then shot out its tongue. Lexus dove to the side, and the muscle stuck to an oak tree.

Vaulting onto the tongue, Lexus fought her way to Todeous' mouth as it howled its displeasure. The sticky material of the tongue unbalanced her, and she nearly fell three times before making it to the head.

With a crouching leap, Lexus tore her sandals free of Todeous' tongue and landed on its mossy head. The frog Colossus shook to and fro, trying to work its stone claws above its head in order to swipe at her, but the moss gave her a firm grip and she held fast.

_I will create an opening._

Celosia rammed Todeous again, causing it to stagger to the side. Lexus took off running, reaching its back in a matter of seconds. Holding her sword point down, she drove it into the only furred area on Todeous' body.

The Colossus bucked and wailed in pain, thrashing beneath her. The girl fought to keep control as she twisted the blade within the frog's flesh, loosing torrents of black blood, then wrenched it free. A telepathic yell caught her attention, and she glanced up to see Celosia knocked back by Todeous.

"Celosia!"

_I'm fine, kill it!_

But Todeous had fully recovered. It turned to the pool, crouched, then leaped high into the air. Lexus screamed as she was torn from the creature, and both of them plunged into the water.

Todeous' head rested only a few feet from the top, as the pond was not particularly deep, but it was deep enough that Lexus could not touch the beast while waterlogged. She thrashed frantically towards the poolside as Todeous raised its red eyes to her, then crouched before leaping from the water. Lexus flew forward, colliding with a tree. She gasped in pain, clutching the injury as Todeous landed only feet behind her.

_Rise, maiden._

_Todeous is upon you!_

Lexus groped for her sword, then instinctively rolled out of the way as Todeous' tongue lashed out at her. She slashed at it, and blood flew as the frog Colossus recoiled.

"Take that, you slippery pile of shit!"

Todeous bellowed, leaping into the air. Lexus scrambled to her feet, and was flung forward as Todeous impacted. _It's just playing with me now!_ she thought.

Standing, she whirled to face her opponent. The swordsgirl positioned herself so that a large oak was behind her, and waited for Todeous to face her. "C'mon, come on!"

Todeous loosed its tongue, and Lexus dove to the side. The muscle seized hold of the oak, and Lexus quickly climbed on top.

She ran the length of the tongue, climbing onto Todeous' head as she readied her sword. At the first chance, she shoved it deep into the Colossus' back.

A fountain of blood erupted from Todeous as it wailed, thrashing from side to side. The frog Colossus rammed into a tree, and Lexus' grip on the sword lessened. She was ripped from the handle, skittering down Todeous' side.

"Oh no, you don't!" she snarled, gripping a fistful of the beast's fur. Hauling herself back up, she kicked the Ancient's Sword and Todeous moaned. She wrenched it from the frog's flesh, then brought it down as hard as she could.

The Colossus seized up, then its eyes darkened. Its great body fell to the side, with Lexus jumping off just in time to avoid being crushed.

"Victory! Lexus eight, Colossi nil!" she cheered, dancing as Celosia padded over to her. His gaze was drawn to the body of Todeous, which quickly became enveloped in light. Then an impact drove Lexus to her knees.

The distant voice of Azgarot called to her as she fell into darkness.

* * *

**There's the next chapter. Please read and review, and I'll get to work on the next one right away.**


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